


An Apostate? Me?

by Sarah1281



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Game retelling, Parody, old fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 17:43:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 128,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4714736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarah1281/pseuds/Sarah1281
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Hawke has never been the most subtle or sane of apostates, much to the annoyance of the brother that can only watch in amazement and horror as she stumbles her way from refugee to noble to champion in a city as bizarre as she.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How Dare You Call My Wife That!

Cassandra Pentaghast, member of a department of the Chantry no one had ever heard of, stared down at the dwarf in front of her who had transformed his seat into a veritable throne. " I just want the truth."

Varric hesitated. "Are you sure about that, Seeker? It's a rather…strange story."

Cassandra nodded impatiently. "It would almost have to be to bring Thedas to this point."

Still, Varric paused. "Well…alright," he conceded. "But don't blame me if you don't like what you hear…"

\----

The setting was just outside of Lothering and the date was weeks after anyone with any self-preservation instincts would have abandoned the village to its fate. As it happens, an appalling lack of survival instincts does not mean that mean that one is necessarily helpless.

"Why didn't we leave days ago like everybody else?" Carver Hawke complained. "The darkspawn are literally overwhelming us!"

"We were waiting for you to get back from us, Carver," his mother, Leandra, said virtuously.

"Didn't we think he was dead?" the eldest Hawke child, Emma, asked bluntly.

Carver's twin Bethany winced. "Don't tell him that!"

"Yeah, I guess then our refusal to leave makes even less sense," Emma agreed. She started suddenly. "My templar senses are tingling!"

Carver rolled his eyes as a heavily-wounded man in templar uniform supported by a red-haired woman came into sight. "Please. You do not have templar senses."

"Then who is that guy stumbling towards us in a templar uniform?" Emma demanded, her hands on her hips. "A really devoted fan?"

"You just saw him coming," Carver said dismissively. His sister may be a mage but that was no reason to accept that she was psychic, after all.

"B-but he wasn't even visible-" Emma started to protest.

"Maybe we could continue this once we've dealt with the templar? And maybe, if we're really ambitious, the darkspawn?" Bethany suggested.

"I am so glad that I raised at least one sensible child," Leandra remarked almost idly.

Carver crossed his arms resentfully and frowned.

"Ah! A mage!" the man in the templar uniform cried out, alarmed. He quickly corrected himself. "No, two mages! And they aren't in the Circle! They must be apostates!"

"Or we could be Ostagar survivors who haven't yet managed to make our way back to the Circle," Bethany pointed out.

The templar paused, considering this. "…Are you?"

"Well, no," Bethany admitted. "But we could have been."

Emma sighed. "Bethany, you know I love you but maybe in the future we could claim that we were whatever non-apostates type mages you mention?"

"I agree with Emma," Leandra spoke up.

"Of course you do…" Carver muttered darkly.

"Oh come on, we weren't even arguing!" Emma protested.

"Emma, after eighteen years I think that it's safe to assume that if you think something, I disapprove," Carver told her patiently.

Emma hazarded a guess as to why. "Because you're a jealous insecure prick?"

"I was actually going to go with 'because you're a crazy person,'" Carver told her.

Emma shrugged. "Because you're a jealous insecure prick's fine."

The red-head took a step forward. "Look, while I'm sure that you'd love to stand around and argue all day and Wesley here would love to drag you to the nearest Circle, I think we have bigger problems here. Such as, I don't know, the fast-approaching darkspawn. I'm Aveline, by the way."

"You're right, dear," Wesley agreed reluctantly.

"I'm Leandra and these are my three children, Emma, Bethany, and Carver," Leandra introduced. "It's nice to-ogre!"

"My wife is not an ogre! How dare you say that!" Wesley said frigidly before glancing over to where Leandra was pointing. "Oh look, an ogre. After we kill this, you'd better apologize!"

Aveline rubbed her forehead. "Oh, Wesley…"

The ogre turn looked between the unarmed and untrained Leandra and the badly wounded Wesley to see which would be the easiest prey before finally settling on Leandra.

"I'll protect you, mother," Bethany declared valiantly, stepping in front of Leandra. "Maker give me strength…" Her staff had just begun to glow with magic when Emma froze the ogre in its tracks.

"Ta-da!" Emma said grandly.

"You are such a show-off!" Carver accused.

"I don't mind," Bethany assured him before sending a burst of magic at the ogre.

"Why does everyone like you better than me?" Carver complained, completely ignoring the ogre.

"I never nailed anyone's pigtail to the bed," Emma replied promptly, also apparently feeling that her work with the ogre was done.

"That was nine years ago!" Carver objected.

"And Bethany hasn't worn pigtails since…" Emma said, shaking her head sadly.

"Children? The ogre? It looks to be thawing," Leandra said worriedly.

Carver glared at his sister. "Why can't your stupid ice spells last longer?"

"So first I'm a show-off for using ice in the first place and now I didn't even do it right?" Emma demanded, annoyed.

Carver thought about it. "Pretty much."

With that, the Hawke siblings added their might to Aveline and Bethany's and the ogre was quickly felled.

Emma turned back to her brother. "Now, where were we…"

Leandra sighed. "Do you have to keep provoking your brother?"

"Well…no," Emma admitted. "But I enjoy it."

"Dragon!" Bethany shouted.

"Now my wife's being likened to a dragon, mage?" Wesley couldn't believe it. Neither could Aveline, for that matter, but that was for a different reason. "What is it with you people?"

"Well, at least I can have a knight's death," Carver said, trying to remain optimistic. It hardly needs saying but Carver was rather bad at optimism.

The dragon landed right in front of them and immediately transformed into an old woman with horns on her head.

Carver stared at the creature. "Huh. Now to get a knight's death I'd need to impregnate her and then die by the hand of my own twisted offspring twenty years or so from now. I'm starting to think a knight's death might be overrated."

Wesley only had one concern about this bizarre turn of events. "Ah! Another mage!"

"Wesley! Honestly, templars can be so single-minded," Aveline complained.

"Tell me about it…" Carver grumbled.

Wesley looked confused. "But…you're not a mage."

Carver gave him a black look but said nothing.

"He's a little sensitive, I'm afraid," Leandra confided.

"You lot aren't very good at focusing are you?" Aveline asked rhetorically. "You'd all make for terrible guards."

Bethany blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

The old woman had had enough of their ignoring her. "My name is Flemeth – well, one of them, at least – and since you'll probably die if I don't decide to help you, I strongly suggest that you start paying attention to me."

Aveline made an attempt to focus. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"She just said that she was Flemeth," Emma said slowly. "Weren't you listening?"

"Yes, I was," Aveline said curtly. "I actually just wanted to know if she was a witch of the wilds."

"I have been called that, yes," Flemeth acknowledged. "And I'm here because I thought it would be amusing to watch that ogre brutally murder you all."

"But we didn't die," Bethany pointed out.

"So I noticed." The disappointment in Flemeth's tone would have been impossible to miss. "Fortunately, I have a Plan B so that this little visit won't be a complete waste of my time."

"I don't like the sound of this…" Carver murmured ominously.

"Stop being such a wet blanket," Emma ordered.

"She openly admitted she wanted to watch us die!" Carver cried out.

"So?" Unsurprisingly, Emma didn't see the problem. "She wasn't planning to kill us personally and I don't think she's going to do that now."

"What was your plan?" Bethany inquired politely. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Flemeth answered that question by posing one of her own. "Do you have anywhere you were planning to go after fleeing Ferelden? How does Kirkwall sound?"

"I have family in Kirkwall!" Leandra exclaimed. "The Amells are nobility there!"

"The Amells?" Flemeth repeated, intrigued. "That must make you relatives of Angélique."

"Who?" Leandra asked blankly.

Flemeth shook her head. "It doesn't matter. So…Kirkwall? Sound good?"

"Wesley!" Aveline cried out, drawing everyone's attention to her.

Wesley had fallen over and was lying weakly on the ground. "I think I'm dying…"

Aveline shook her head in denial of this terrible truth. "No, you're fine!"

"He is actually dying," Flemeth confirmed.

Wesley coughed. "Told you! You should have more faith in me, Aveline."

"Or he'll become a ghoul which is hardly better," Flemeth continued casually. "Darkspawn corruption and whatnot."

"No!" Aveline couldn't accept this.

"You can kill him or watch him become a ghoul and try to eat you," Flemeth said flatly.

Aveline hesitated. "Can I have a minute to think about this?"

Leandra was appalled. "Aveline!"

"What?" Aveline asked defensively. "Is he going to turn into a ghoul in the next five minutes?"

"I'll do it!" Emma volunteered cheerfully before zapping him with enough lightning to kill five men.

Carver facepalmed.

"You just killed my husband!" Aveline accused angrily.

Emma smiled magnanimously, the sun shining on her blonde hair giving her a very angelic look. "You're welcome."

Bethany cleared her throat awkwardly. "I think we will be heading to Kirkwall. I mean, they have a lot of templars but Emma and I are pretty good at hiding our magic and if we have family there then we'll be better off than anywhere else."

"If you deliver this perfectly harmless-looking amulet to the Dalish Keeper that may or may not be camping out near Kirkwall then I'll take you to a ship bound for the city," Flemeth offered.

Leandra held out her hand to shake Flemeth's. "It's a deal."

"Doesn't anybody care that my husband was just murdered?" Aveline demanded.

There was an awkward silence as it became clear that no one did.

\----

Unfortunately, there was a little roadblock when they reached Kirkwall, or at least its outskirts.

"Sorry, you can't come in," a guard said, not looking all that sorry at all.

"Why not?" Leandra asked.

"There are serious concerns that half of Ferelden has fled here since no one wanted to go to Orlais," the guard explained.

"But…I have family in Kirkwall," Leandra informed him.

The guard stared at her for a moment. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Noble family," Leandra clarified.

The guard straightened. "That's completely different. Name?"

"The Amells. My brother, Gamlen, knows we're coming," Leandra said imperiously.

"Well, probably," Bethany qualified. "The international mailing system is kind of hit-or-miss in the best of times, let alone during a Blight."

"The Amells?" the guard repeated blankly. "Never heard of them. I do know a Gamlen, though. Miserable drunken sot. You think that might be him?"

Leandra sighed. "That does sound like him."

Carver's eye began to twitch. "Didn't you say I remind you of him?"

"Only his good qualities," Leandra said hastily before scrambling to think of one of those aforementioned good qualities. "Like the fact that, er, he doesn't really hate his siblings. At least I don't think he does."

"I feel like I'm really getting some valuable insights into your family dynamics," Aveline said dryly.

"Wait…Mother only left twenty-five years ago. Even if the Amells have since fallen, how have you never even heard of him?" Bethany asked reasonably.

"You know, that's a good point. Uncle Carver-clone must really suck," Emma declared.

Carver narrowed his eyes. "I hate you all."

"No you don't, dear," Leandra said blithely.

"Just like Uncle Gamlen," Emma added.

"I…" the guard trailed off, realizing he had no answer. "Damn. That's a really good question."

"If you go find Uncle Gamlen for us then we won't make you answer it," Emma offered.

"Done."

"How dare you go look for their family and not provide the same service to us!" One of the random people milling about shouted.

The guard looked him over. "Do you even have family in Kirkwall?"

"Well…no…" the man conceded before quickly rallying. "But that's not the point! It's a matter of principle! I call foul on the blatant favoritism! Attack!"

"Yes, this will in no way end badly for you and prevent you from being allowed into the city should you survive this encounter," Aveline deadpanned.

The man and the three idiots he convinced to attack as well were soon dead at their feet.

"Fereldens…" the guard said disgustedly as he turned to go. "I'll be back shortly."

Carver sighed. "I am not going to like Kirkwall, am I?"

"Probably not," Emma agreed. "Then again, when was the last time you liked anything?"

"That says more about you people than me," Carver insisted.

"Leandra!" an older man cried out. Presumably this was Gamlen. "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"He really doesn't have to sound so disappointed," Bethany observed.

Leandra wasted no time with pleasantries. "Why has that guard never even heard of our family? What did you do?"

Gamlen looked awkward. "I'll tell you what I didn't do. I didn't steal your inheritance then drink, gamble, and poorly invest it away. And slavers most certainly aren't operating out of the old mansion."

Leandra tilted her head. "Well, that's something I suppose."

"I don't know. I think that sounds like a suspiciously specific denial," Carver announced.

"You really should have more trust in people," Emma told him.

"Listen, bribes to get into the city at this point are really high. Fortunately, I managed to get a mercenary group and a smuggler group to agree to get your group into the city for the low low price of your children's free labor for a year," Gamlen said quickly.

"YOU SOLD ME CHILDREN INTO SLAVERY?" Needless to say, Leandra was not happy.

"It's more indentured servitude really," Gamlen claimed. "And it's only for a year!"

"Why doesn't she have to do anything?" Carver demanded, pointing at Aveline. "If she's getting in with us then it's only fair."

"After the way your sister callously killed my husband…" Aveline trailed off.

"I'm a giver," Emma said modestly.

"He was going to die anyway," Carver pointed out.

"Not right that second," Aveline countered.

"Fine," Leandra ground out. "But I want you to know that I am never going to stop complaining about this. Ever. And I'm moving into your house with my children and not paying you any rent or even contributing with groceries."

Gamlen sighed. "I knew the words 'come with me, sir' uttered by a guard is never a good sign…"

"So which do you want to work for?" Emma asked them. "The mercenaries or the smugglers? Are we all going to need to work for the same group?"

"Indeed, it's the three of you or nothing," Gamlen confirmed.

"I think the mercenaries sound okay," Carver said dubiously. "And at least it's soldier work so I'll have some background in it. And even though I'm sure some of it will be illegal, at least its very job title doesn't automatically make people call for the guards."

"Well I want to work with the smugglers. It's less legal and thus less chances of anyone finding out that Bethany and I are mages," Emma opined. "And that makes it a tie. Bethany?"

As per usual, it was up to Bethany to cast the deciding vote. And as per usual, she sided with her sister. "I'm not really comfortable with the idea of killing people for money."

"You always take her side," Carver complained.

Emma rolled her eyes. "And if Bethany voted first then you'd complain that I always took her side."

"No…" Carver said unconvincingly. "But fine. I can see I'm outnumbered. Again. Why I even try is beyond me."

"I think you're just a contrarian," Emma theorized.

"No I'm not," Carver automatically denied.

"You're really not helping your case here," Emma told him, amused.

"While you're doing all of this, I think I shall join the city guard," Aveline announced. "As your smuggling job is going to pay the bribe I need to get into the city, I'll try to ignore what you guys are doing. Try not to make it too obvious, though, or I might not be able to help myself."

"I'm not sure if I should feel grateful for that or not," Bethany admitted.

"Okay, this is a new city and it's a templar stronghold so let's try to keep the fact that you are both mages quiet," Carver told them.

Emma and Bethany both nodded their agreement and the three made their way over to the elven smuggler leader.

"Ah, so you've decided to work with me? Excellent. I've always thought that having mages would make my smuggling ring run smoother. Or at least I have ever since your Uncle Gamlen suggested it…"

This might be harder than they thought.


	2. Emma Has the Worst Taste in Men

The year of barely-paid servitude (just enough to get by so they could continue working) had finally ended. It had been longer for some than for others and it was generally agreed upon that if they were judging how long it had felt by the amount of complaining then Carver had felt like it was at least three years. Now that it was over, however, they needed some other way to survive and would rather not stay poverty-stricken refugees forever. Thus, they were going to go on the dwarf Bartrand's expedition.

They just had to convince him of it.

"What part of 'no' don't you humans get?" Bartrand grumbled as he attempted to hurry away from him.

"It was mostly the part where you didn't give us what we wanted," Bethany said helpfully.

"I have all the hired muscle that I need," Bartrand insisted.

"But we'd be the only mages going on the trip and thus capable of far more damage from farther away than your other men," Emma pointed out. "And did I mention that Bethany can heal, as well? That's really invaluable for so many weeks down there."

Carver groaned. "By the Maker, sister, do you have to let everyone know that you two are mages? Now that we no longer have protection, letting the templars know will result in you both being dragged off to the Circle."

"I'm perfectly careful," Emma sniffed.

"That does sound sensible," Bartrand admitted. "But I would prefer there to be a lot of deaths on the expedition as I'm not paying anyone up front. And since I, if not the darkspawn, am resistant to magic this makes me undervalue its use. And I don't want to pay you. Goodbye and never speak to me again." With that, he stormed off.

Reluctantly, the Hawke siblings let him.

"Well that was a bust," Bethany said unhappily.

"I knew we should have signed up sooner. Why didn't we sign up sooner?" Carver demanded.

"Because you refused to go without me and I refuse to wake up before nine?" Emma reminded him. "Just a guess."

Carver chose to ignore that. "So now we're stuck. It's either the smugglers again or the mercenaries if we want to survive. This day cannot possibly get any worse."

"Oh, don't say that!" Bethany urged him.

Carver rolled his eyes. "Why? Because I need to think positive thoughs?"

"Well…that, too. I'm mostly just worried that you'll jinx us," Bethany replied.

"Hey, my coin-purse!" Emma protested as a thief bumped into her and stole it. "That had all of three silver in it!"

"Well? Aren't you going to go after him?" Carver demanded.

Emma shook her head. "Nah, three silver isn't really worth getting all worked up about. You can, though."

Carver started to take off after the thief but stopped as an arrow came out of nowhere and pinned the thief to the wall.

"You are nowhere near talented enough to be operating in Hightown," an unfamiliar dwarf admonished the pinned man, grabbing the coin purse back and tossing it Emma's way. "I'm almost embarrassed that you tried."

"Um, excuse me?" Bethany spoke up. "But who are you?"

"I am Varric of House Tethras. Coincidentally, I'm also Bartrand's younger brother. So…you lot are looking to join onto the expedition?" Varric inquired.

"We are," Carver agreed. "But Bartrand's made it pretty clear just how likely that's going to be."

"Bartrand's family which is why I feel secure enough to say that he's an idiot," Varric said frankly. "I've heard all about you, Emma Hawke. You single-handedly kept Athenril from being crushed by the Coterie and given how ruthless and efficient the latter is, you've sufficiently impressed me."

"Well, I don't know about 'single-handedly'," Emma said modestly. "My sister is also a mage and Carver…well, he was there, too."

"Such glowing recommendations you give, Emma," Carver groused.

"I really don't mind staying in the background," Bethany told them. "It seems safer."

"I've vaguely heard of them," Varric replied. "Nothing as impressive as what they say about you but if you absolutely must bring them along with you then I understand. Family obligations and whatnot."

"Mother would be pretty upset with me if I were to abandon Carver to his own fate and I could not do anything to hurt Bethany!" Emma declared.

"You do realize that I'm right here, right?" Carver demanded.

Emma gave him a strange look. "Of course I do. Why?"

Carver gave a long-suffering sigh. "No reason…"

"So were you proposing something?" Bethany asked in an effort to get them back on track.

Varric nodded. "That I was. This isn't common knowledge but Bartrand is still struggling to come up with enough funds for the expedition."

"How much is he short?" Emma inquired.

Varric shrugged. "Give or take…exactly fifty sovereigns."

"Wow. Just…wow," Carver said, shaking his head. "And he already hired all the mercenaries and everything? That sounds like something Emma would do."

"Hey!" she protested.

"The thing is, while Bartrand's never been the best at planning ahead, even he's not that bad and until yesterday afternoon, he had the money."

"What happened yesterday afternoon?" Bethany asked.

"He and his most recent partner, Dougal Gavorn, had a falling out and Gavorn took his fifty sovereigns with him. As such, Bartrand needs a new partner but he isn't actually going to bother putting any effort into finding one which is where we come in," Varric explained.

"So you want us to give you fifty sovereign to finance the expedition?" Emma asked.

Varric nodded. "Yes. You wouldn't be just hirelings but a full-fledged partner with one-third of the profit. Bartrand and myself would each get a third as well, Bartrand because he's the leader of the expedition and myself because Bartrand wouldn't last five minutes without me."

"Look, if we had that kind of money then we wouldn't need your damn expedition and should we manage to raise that money – which would be a miracle – why would risk our lives in the Deep Roads?" Carver demanded.

"Because the profits would be far more than just fifty sovereign," Varric answered. "You could be set for life here and this kind of an opportunity won't come by again. Refuse this opportunity and somehow raise fifty sovereign and become comfortable middle-class but nothing special with templars after you…or sign on to the expedition and become wealthy enough to protect yourselves."

Bethany and Emma exchanged a look. "We're in."

"Excellent," Varric said, pleased. "Oh…but one more thing."

"There's always a catch," Carver complained.

"It's just…Gavorn also took our map of the Deep Roads with him so we need another one. There's supposed to be a Ferelden Grey Warden healer somewhere in Darktown and if anyone has a map, he probably does. If not, we'll have to go crawling back to Gavorn and I really hate that family. I don't know why, there's just something about him," Varric said, shuddering a little.

"Why can't you go do it yourself?" Carver inquired.

"I could but if you do it then it will further prove your worth to Bartrand," Varric replied. "So…that's everything? Great, let's go."

There was an awkward silence.

"Let's go where?" Bethany asked at last.

"I've really got nothing better to do until the expedition starts so I'm going to follow you around and watch you try to raise the money," Varric explained. "Should be fun."

"Well, okay then," Emma said uncertainly. "So, do we have any ideas on what to do?"

"That Ferelden's import store might know where to find the Grey Warden," Bethany suggested.

"Aveline in her precious guard might have some work," Carver said reluctantly.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Carver! Don't tell me that you're going to persist on blaming Aveline for the fact that they never got back to you on your application. Maybe they just lost it."

"I sent seventeen applications!" Carver cried out.

"Maybe they just thought you were creepy and obsessed, then," Varric opined.

Emma grinned. "I like you."

"I don't," Carver disagreed.

"He is doing us a major favor here," Bethany pointed out.

Carver snorted. "Yeah, because of how special he's heard Emma is."

"Don't worry. You and me will go drinking at the Hanged Man some time and then we'll get along fine," Varric assured him.

"We really should have taken that amulet to the Dalish a year ago," Bethany reminded them.

Emma looked sheepish. "Look, I'll find it one of these days. Probably."

"Why did we entrust that to Emma?" Carver demanded. "We know how flaky she can get!"

"If I recall correctly, you thought it was cursed," Bethany reminded him. "And Emma wanted to hold it."

"We could also see if Uncle Gamlen's connections have any work for us," Carver suggested. "It won't be glamorous work but we need to get the money as soon as we possibly can."

"I say we start with the Grey Warden or I'm probably going to forget," Emma said. "And since I'm in charge…"

\----

"Hello," Emma said to the woman behind the counter. "Are you Lirene?"

"I am," Lirene acknowledged reluctantly. "Why?"

"We were looking for a Grey Warden. Do you know where we can find him? We hear he's Ferelden so we thought this might be the best place to look," Emma explained.

"Actually, he's an Anders," Lirene corrected them. "But he did come to Kirkwall from Ferelden, yes."

"So…can you tell us?" Emma requested.

"Why can't you templars just leave him alone?" Lirene demanded suddenly. "He does good work, even if he is a mage!"

"Why is no one capable of being even remotely discrete about magic?" Carver wondered.

"To be fair, your average templar isn't the most observant person around," Varric replied. "So they really don't have to be."

"Oh, he's a mage?" Bethany asked, intrigued. "I guess that explains the healer thing."

"Despite the fact that I sincerely believe all of you to be templars, except maybe for the dwarf as I've never heard of any dwarven templars, I'm going to go right ahead and give you directions to his clinic," Lirene decided.

Carver stared at her. "Not for nothing but…are you sure it's a good idea to lead people that you believe to be templars to your apostate healer?"

"If he wanted to be hidden then he wouldn't let all of the refugees know where to find him," Lirene reasoned.

"There's a difference between being willing to heal sick refugees who can't afford any other treatment and being willing to have templars out to kill or imprison you sent after you thus ridding the refugees of their healer," Carver pointed out.

Lirene's eye twitched. "Look, do you want the directions or not?"

Emma elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up, Carver."

Once they had the directions written down, they made their way outside the store only to find a group of barely-armed refugees waiting for them.

"We heard you asking around about our healer!" their leader said. "And we're not going to be letting no templars take him!"

"Do we really look like templars?" Bethany asked idly. "I mean us? Really?"

"If you have such a problem with this, why didn't you stop Lirene from telling us where he was inside?" Carver challenged. "Wouldn't that have been easier and less despicable than trying to murder people for asking questions?"

"These are peasant refugees," Varric explained. "Frankly, I'm a little surprised that they realized that allowing who they believe to be templars to go after their healer would not be in their best interests."

"Are you calling us stupid?" the leader demanded angrily.

"If I say 'no' will you believe me?" Varric asked.

"Probably, yeah," the leader said, nodding.

"What if I say 'no' in a sarcastic tone of voice?" Varric pressed.

The leader shrugged. "I've never been too good at discerning tone of voice."

"This is ridiculous," Emma complained. "Bethany?"

"We're from Ferelden, too," Bethany said earnestly. "We'd never turn on one of our own. Not to mention that Emma and I are mages, too." She raised her hand and allowed some sparks to dance across her fingertips.

"Bethany!" Carver exclaimed, aghast.

"Oh, well that's different. I'm sure that it's absolutely impossible for there to be any mages on the side of the templars," the leader said. "Sorry about the misunderstanding. Alright folks, let's clear out."

"I wonder if mages actually could become templars," Emma mused. "Sure, the templars would never be willing to teach a mage but if they did find a way to learn, could they pull it off?"

"I don't know but I think they'd have a far better chance of it then you and Bethany have of remaining undetected in this city," Carver opined.

"You worry too much," Emma said dismissively.

\----

After Emma tried unsuccessfully to find the clinic from the very clear directions they'd been given, Bethany took over since Varric thought that this was a family matter and Emma refused to let Carver do it.

They finally made it and watched someone who was clearly a mage standing over an ill child and pouring healing energy into him.

"He's cute," Emma announced. "And so intense…"

"You are not going to make this any more complicated than it needs to be, do you?" Carver asked worriedly.

Emma thought about it. "No promises."

The boy awoke with a gasp and his relieved parents began fawning over him. The parents thanked the mage and then left with their perfectly healthy son in tow.

Once they were gone, Emma's group approached the healer whose back was facing them.

Abruptly, the man turned to face them, holding his staff up warningly. "I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation!" he declared dramatically. "Why do you threaten it?"

"Oh, wow…" Emma breathed.

"Emma! Focus!" Carver ordered.

"What? I can't appreciate a badass introduction?" Emma asked innocently.

"I swear, his eyes were just glowing blue. I think there might be something wrong with him," Carver insisted.

"Why do you always have to do this, Carver?" Emma demanded.

Carver looked honestly confused. "Do what?"

"Every time Emma likes a guy you have a tendency to point out everything that's wrong with them," Bethany said gently.

"That's probably because Emma has the world's worst taste in men," Carver said matter-of-factly.

"I do not!" Emma denied.

"Bethany, do you by chance remember who Emma's last three boyfriends were?" Carver asked his twin.

Bethany hesitated. "Well…"

"It can't be that bad," Varric opined.

"She dated a templar, a blood mage, and a desire demon," Carver announced. "The blood mage was actually the one who summoned the desire demon, you know. I believe they had a threesome then the desire demon killed the blood mage. Emma promptly hooked up with the demon again."

Varric whistled. "Hawke, I am impressed."

"Wait, why does she get to be Hawke?" Carver demanded. "I'm a Hawke, too."

"Well, yes, but she's the oldest," Varric reasoned. "That's why you're Junior. Or maybe little Hawke. I'm still trying to decide. Any preferences?"

"Yeah. Carver," Carver replied.

Varric shook his head. "That wasn't actually one of the options."

"What are you going to call me?" Bethany wanted to know.

"Sunshine," Varric responded.

"Can somebody please answer my question already?" the mage demanded.

"Certainly," Emma said agreeably. "But first, I think some introductions are in order. I'm Emma and these are my siblings, Bethany and Carver. And that's Varric. What's your name?"

"I don't feel like telling you," the mage said contrarily.

"Well we have to call you something," Emma said. "And if you don't give me anything then I'm going to have to go with 'Alistair.'"

"Maker, no!" the mage burst out. "Not more comparisons…Anders. You can call me Anders."

"See, that wasn't so hard," Emma said brightly. "Listen, we're not here to threaten your sanctum or whatever. We just heard that you were a Grey Warden and-"

"Are you with the Wardens? I'm not going to go back to those bastards. They made me get rid of my cat!" Anders exclaimed. "Poor Ser Pounce-a-lot."

Emma gasped, horrified. "They did what? Those monsters! I know that if anyone tried to make me get rid of Loghain I'd cut out their heart and feed it to them!"

Carver made a face. "Lovely."

"Who's Loghain?" Varric wondered. "Your cat?"

"Oh, no," Bethany told him. "Loghain is Emma's mabari. He actually met Carver first but imprinted on Emma."

"To no one's surprise," Carver muttered.

"You named a dog after Loghain?" Anders asked, surprised.

"And why shouldn't I? He's a hero!" Emma gushed. "Sure there was that bout of what some might call treason but I heard that was cleared up very nicely at the Landsmeet."

"Since no one else seems inclined to say it, I might as well let you know that we're not here to try to take you back to the Wardens nor are we particularly interested in becoming Wardens," Carver said, attempting to get the conversation back on track. "We just need your maps to the Deep Roads for our expedition."

"The Deep Roads?" Anders asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I hate the Deep Roads. In fact, I hate them far too much to let you so much as look at the maps."

"But we'll die if you don't give us the maps since we're totally going anyway," Bethany tried to appeal to his better nature.

"Have I mentioned that it's a really deep-seated hatred?" Anders asked in response.

"Well, we tried," Emma said, shrugging, as she turned to go.

"Wait," Anders stopped her. "You're leaving just like that? I was expecting a little more persistence."

"I'm willing to accept that no means no," Emma replied. "But listen, should we somehow miraculously survive this expedition, I'll come look you up, okay? We should get drinks sometime. You're really cute."

Anders coughed. "Well, perhaps I was a little hasty in saying no. It would take virtually no effort to point you over to the maps after all."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked him. "You said that you really hated the Deep Roads."

"Emma!" Carver hissed. "What are you doing?"

"That's a good point," Anders said slowly. "I know! I have this friend-"

"By 'friend' do you mean 'friend friend' or 'ex-girlfriend friend'?" Emma interrupted.

"Ex-boyfriend, actually," Anders told her. "Does that bother you?"

"That depends. Are you gay or bisexual?" Emma inquired.

"Bisexual," Anders replied.

"So I still have a chance! Score!" Emma cheered. "In that case, no it does not bother me at all."

"I came to Kirkwall to help Karl but lately his letters have stopped and I'm worried. Coincidentally, I've arranged to meet him in the Chantry at midnight tonight. If you'd care to come with me and kill anyone that tries to stop me from getting Karl out of there then I'd be much obliged," Anders said earnestly.

"More trouble with the templars?" Carver demanded. "You have got to be kidding me. This is a horrible plan. Let's take our chances with the darkspawn."

"For what may be the first time in my life, I agree with Carver," Bethany declared. "We don't need to give them another reason to hunt us. Maybe when this is all over and we're rich we'll be safer but for now…"

"Varric?" Emma called. "What do you think?"

"I think that I've officially spent enough time with Anders here to need a nickname for him," Varric answered. "How does 'Blondie' sound?"

"Vaguely feminine," Anders replied. "But why not?"

"I guess it's up to me then," Emma said anxiously.

"But Bethany and I are agreed that this is a bad idea and Varric doesn't care," Carver protested. "Why do you even bother having us vote if you're going to ignore what we say?"

"Because it's usually a tie I have to break and that way you can feel like your opinions matter even though they totally don't," Emma explained. "Anders, are you sure that it's over between you and Karl?"

"Positive," Anders assured her. "He's got this beard now and his hair has prematurely grayed."

"In that case, I'd love to help you. I'll meet you in the Chantry at midnight," Emma promised, giggling a little at what she felt was the romanticism in the situation.

"Is there any point in asking why, if he can be in the Chantry in the middle of the night when it's closed, Karl can't just come here or some other place less likely to have templars?" Carver wondered aloud.

As per usual, everyone ignored him.


	3. Meet Me at Midnight

After making the date with Anders, the Hawke siblings headed home to let Leandra know that they'd be gone until an obscene hour in the morning if they made it back that night at all and so not to worry that they'd all been brutally murdered. Varric was pleased to discover how close their humble abode was from his favorite pub, the Hanged Man.

"Emma, I don't think it's good for poor Loghain to stay cooped up all day," Leandra told her. "Why don't you bring him with you on some of your errands?"

"I…don't know," Emma admitted. "That actually sounds like a great idea."

"Maybe then people will actually recognize that we're Ferelden without us having to literally spell it out for them," Bethany said hopefully.

Varric snorted. "I wouldn't hold my breath, Sunshine."

"You have some mail," Gamlen informed them. "I didn't read it or anything but you might want to know that Athenril wants you to look for some of her cargo the Coterie seem to have intercepted at the docks at midnight tonight and to meet a lyrium smuggler named Anso in Lowtown at midnight tonight. Also, that mercenary you didn't want anything to do with, Meeran, wants you to head to the docks and kill a nobleman named Lord Harriman who the letter insists was absolutely not responsible for making the viscount actually do something for once and, more specifically, to send aid to Ferelden following the end of the Blight. The nobleman will need to be killed in broad daylight at a crowded area of the docks."

"But you didn't read it," Carver said sarcastically.

"Honest truth," Gamlen lied.

"So that's three midnight meetings now? Midnight meetings are getting far more popular than I had thought," Emma mused. "I do hope this won't make my midnight meeting with Anders any less romantic…"

"You're rescuing his ex-boyfriend. In a Chantry. With your siblings," Varric told her. "I really don't think that all these other midnight meetings are really going to change the level of romanticism a great deal."

"Wait, who's this 'Anders'?" Leandra demanded.

"If Emma gets her way, he'll be her new boyfriend," Carver replied.

"Oh, Maker…" Leandra said with a heavy sigh. "What's wrong with him?"

"Not you two!" Emma said, looking betrayed.

"Emma, you know I love you dearly but we have to face the facts. Do you remember how your last relationship ended?" Leandra said gently. "Or your third-to-last relationship?"

Emma refused to look at her. "No."

"This, I gotta hear," Varric said with a smirk.

"The templar realized that half of us were apostates and so he had a tragic accident on the way to get backup to take my sister, my father, and myself to the Circle," Bethany explained.

"I don't know why that poor fool walked into my sword thirty-seven times but I feel for him," Carver said, shaking his head in commiseration.

"And the desire demon?" Varric asked, wishing he'd brought something to take notes with.

"Things seemed to be going fine until it tried to possess Bethany and my children killed it," Leandra replied.

"I can never just have a normal breakup can I?" Emma complained.

"Well if you'd start dating normal people…" Carver hinted.

"Normal people are boring," Emma declared. "Besides, I don't think they'd want to get involved in our…unique lifestyle anyway."

"So we've got some time to kill before midnight," Bethany noted. "What do you guys think we should do? Go see Aveline?"

"Who exactly is Aveline?" Varric asked them.

"She's a guard," Carver replied bitterly. "We met her when we were fleeing Lothering and she came to Kirkwall with us."

"It occurs to me that perhaps it would be wiser to hold off seeing her until tomorrow as we're going to get involved in all manner of illegal activities tonight," Varric opined.

"That's probably a good idea," Emma agreed. "I know! Let's go kill that Lord Harriman guy and then spend the rest of the time we need to wait getting drunk at the Hanged Man!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bethany asked hesitantly. "Magic is notoriously harder to control when drunk."

"What's the worst that can happen," Emma asked dismissively.

Carver rolled his eyes. "Templars will come down and kill us all, possibly molesting you two before that happens. And you'll destroy the pub. And mother will die in poverty as she's left with Gamlen to support her. And you'll have managed to make life worse for every mage in Kirkwall and perhaps beyond that as you're held up as an example of the dangers that mages can pose."

"I'd take offense at that if I didn't half-agree with you," Gamlen remarked.

"Yeah, but besides that? Huh? You can't think of anything, can you?" Emma asked smugly. "Thought not."

\----

The quartet made their way to the docks where they found a frightened-looking teenager on the ground.

"Are you one of Meeran's men or do we not have to give a damn?" Emma asked.

"Not that we're going to necessarily give a damn if you are a mercenary," Carver added.

"Carver, that's horrible!" Bethany exclaimed.

"No, what's horrible is the fact that you guys wouldn't let me be a mercenary and are now taunting me with this one side-job," Carver disagreed.

"That was a year ago!" Bethany exclaimed.

"And we stopped being smugglers all of two days ago," Carver pointed out. "And it's also unbelievable that, within forty-eight hours of leaving the smuggling world behind, we have to go bail them out again."

"Well what do you expect?" Varric asked rhetorically. "Emma here is the only reason that the Coterie haven't crushed Athenril."

Carver's eye twitched. "We were there, too, remember?"

"Oh, I do," Varric assured him. "My statement still stands."

"Um…do you guys really care about my answer?" the man on the ground asked hesitantly.

"Not really," Emma confessed.

"Neither do I," a distinguished-looking nobleman said, approaching them.

"Are you Lord Harriman?" Emma asked him.

"I probably shouldn't confess this to people I am reasonable sure are out to kill me but…yes, yes I am," Lord Harriman admitted.

"Great! I love it when other people make my life easier," Emma cheered. "Just for that, I'll grant you the chance to utter a few last words or, if you do not have any prepared, to extend your life for up to fifteen minutes while you have some composed."

"Can I tell you why people want me dead?" Harriman asked hopefully.

Emma shrugged. "I doubt it really matters, but if it makes you happy then why not?"

"I was the one to single-handedly convince the viscount to send aid to Ferelden. You are Fereldens yourselves, are you not?" Harriman asked rhetorically.

Bethany looked pleased. "It seems taking Loghain with us did the trick after all."

"I wouldn't be too sure. This man's a noble, remember? There's about a fifty-fifty chance that those are smarter than your average peasant," Varric told her.

"What about if we told everyone that his name was Loghain? Would that help?" Bethany inquired.

"I don't know," Varric answered. "He's pretty popular in Orlais, actually."

"To his undying shame, no doubt," Carver remarked.

Emma glared at Harriman and put her hands on her hips. "Nice try but Meeran's letter specifically said that you didn't do that."

Carver sighed. "One of these days I'm going to have to teach her what a suspiciously specific denial is…"

Varric snorted. "Good luck, Junior."

"B-but it's true!" Harriman clearly hadn't expected to be disbelieved. "Can you really kill me for that?"

"I don't know," Emma said with a shrug. "But since I don't believe you…" She trailed off as she zapped him with electricity.

"You know, Emma, we're no longer under Athenril's protection from the templars so maybe you should do less open displays of the fact that you're an apostate?" Carver suggested. "Might be a nice change of pace."

Emma stared at him in honest confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

Carver sighed again. "Of course you don't."

\----

Emma decided that after a job well done, the best thing to do would be to reward themselves at the Hanged Man so they were going there now instead of actually getting anything else done. There was an extremely attractive and half-naked woman that Emma had never seen before leaning against the counter. A couple of thugs had been sitting at a table nearby and staring at the door. When they saw the group come in, they promptly stood up and headed over to the woman.

"You owe us, Isabela," one of them said, leaning on the bar.

"Well, Lucky, I'll tell you what…since your information was worth nothing, that's what I'll pay you," the woman (presumably Isabela) said lazily as she reached for her drink. "You're in luck, too. If it was bad information instead of just useless, I would have to charge you."

"Me and my boys will get our money's worth, bitch," Lucky said, gripping ahold of her wrist.

"I hate those 'this is for emphasis, bitch' people," Carver complained. "Do they really think it makes them sound tough?"

"Yes," Lucky answered without turning around. "Any time you add 'bitch' to the end of your sentence it automatically makes it twice as badass. Bitch."

"That was a new sentence, though," Emma pointed out.

"Well, I-" Lucky started to say before Isabela slammed his head onto the counter. He slumped unconscious but his men moved menacingly Isabela's way.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Hold up!" a young woman with long red hair shouted.

"What?" Isabela asked. "Who are you?"

"I am Bella, the owner of this fine establishment. This bar only has two rules: no groping the staff no matter how drunk you get and take all fights outside," Bella said flatly. "So move on out or sit down and shut up."

Isabela sighed. "Fine…if you boys want to try and convince me to give you money or 'avenge' Lucky then come on."

Lucky's men followed her outside and ten seconds later, Isabela returned alone and unscathed.

"That was impossibly fast," Emma noted. "Clearly, this Isabela is awesome. We should go say hi."

"Are you sure?" Bethany asked hesitantly. "She's really not wearing all that much and it's making me uncomfortable."

"We've got to talk to her," Carver spoke up. "It's only being polite."

Varric chuckled. "I agree with Junior. Besides, she seems fascinating."

Though it wasn't an official vote, it was still 2-1 in favor of meeting Isabela (and Bethany wasn't even on her side this time but Carver was! How odd was that?) and that was all the encouragement Emma needed before bounding up to the woman.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" Isabela asked knowingly.

"No, actually I've been around for exactly a year and two days," Emma corrected.

"Huh," Isabela said, sounding puzzled. "I've been around for a few months, too. You must never be at the docks and be new to this bar though, right?"

"Actually, I practically lived at the docks when I was a smuggler for the past year-" Emma began.

"Don't admit things like that!" Carver practically shrieked.

"And I go this bar at least nine times a week," Emma continued. "Usually more."

"You're really making it seem like you have an alcohol problem," Bethany told her.

Emma waved the concern of. "Please. My magic really does wonders for my alcohol tolerance."

"Emma!" Carver protested.

"Keeping your sister from getting set upon by templars is really going to cost me, isn't it?" Varric asked rhetorically. "I wonder if it's too late to back out of this whole partnership thing…"

Carver glared at him. "It is. Absolutely."

"But those two places are where I spend all of my time as well!" Isabela exclaimed. "And yet I know that I've never seen you before because you are, quite frankly, gorgeous and I always remember the pretty people. And the dangerous ones and given that you're pretty open about being a mage in Kirkwall and have been here for awhile, you must be both."

"That is certainly strange," Emma agreed. "Which is a shame because you are totally gorgeous as well!"

"You know what we should do later?" Isabela asked. "Have sex."

"We totally should!" Emma agreed, her eyes lighting up.

"I do not need to hear this…" Bethany said, looking a little sick.

"Neither do I," Carver agreed. "Varric, are you taking notes?"

"No…" Varric lied innocently.

"But in the meantime, I've got a bit of a problem I was hoping you could help me out with," Isabela announced.

"Really?" Emma looked surprised. "I'm happy to help, of course, but you seem pretty capable."

"Thanks," Isabela said with a pleased grin.

"One of these days, can't you please wait to find out what kind of help people need before agreeing to do it?" Carver implored. "Especially since once you find out that it's a bad idea you insist you have to do it anyway because you gave your word?"

"She does have a point about how if she doesn't tell the truth then she can't really expect people to trust her," Bethany pointed out.

"And with some of the things she agrees to do, she kind of has bigger problems," Carver said through gritted teeth.

"She doesn't think so," Bethany replied.

Carver glared at her.

"What? It's true!" Bethany insisted.

"So I hired Lucky to find some information for me and it was utterly useless. I kind of needed that to pan out but, well, what can you do?" Isabela said with a shrug. "I'm having a duel tonight with an…old friend, I guess you can say. I actually kind of hate him and suspect that he will cheat, though."

Emma nodded sagely. "I guess this is what happens when you're all careless and don't make your word your bond."

"You can not trust someone regardless of how trustworthy they were in the past," Carver told her.

"Yes, but then you don't deserve the mistrust and get to feel better about yourself," Emma claimed. "Do go on, Isabela."

"Our duel is supposed to take place at midnight at Hightown. If you could show up just in case and help me kill any assassins he might send after me then that would be utterly amazing," Isabela told her.

"We hardly know you," Carver pointed out. "And you've certainly never seen us fight. Why do you want us?"

"Well…I don't necessarily want you," Isabela admitted. "But I've heard all about Varric and Bianca, of course."

"My name's Bethany, actually," Bethany corrected.

"No, no," Varric told her, laughing. "Bianca's my crossbow. Have we seriously known each other for two hours and I didn't tell you that? My bad."

"I should probably mention that I'm Carver and my other sister's Emma," Carver said. "I tend to think that you should at least know someone's name before you sleep with them."

"Spoken like a virgin," Isabela said indulgently.

"I'm actually not…" Carver replied.

Bethany started coughing.

"Anyway, having mages is always good, as well," Isabela continued. "Even the most incompetent of mages can start a zombie apocalypse after all. I've seen it done."

"That sounds like templar propaganda," Bethany said suspiciously.

"I'm actually pro-freedom in every form," Isabela admitted. "Just please don't drag me into this silly little debate raging in Kirkwall. I don't care and the minute I get a new ship, I am sailing far far away to a more sensible place. Maybe Antiva."

"So we're going to have yet another midnight meeting?" Varric asked, amused. "That makes, what, four? Blondie, the smuggler, the lyrium smuggler, and now Rivaini here."

"Rivaini?" Isabela repeated.

"I'm not a big fan of names," Varric explained. "In fact, they're usually reserved for family."

"And Emma," Carver muttered.

"So Rivaini is my nickname? Well, why not? I am Rivaini, after all," Isabela disclosed. "And don't look at me. I wanted to have the duel at a nice normal hour when I'm not supposed to be enjoying the wonders of the night but I didn't set the time and it's important that I show up. If I win, he stops harassing me. If he wins…well, I have to go back with him to his boss so needless to say I plan on winning."

"Planning to win is generally a good first step," Emma declared. "And this sounds like a worthy cause. Midnight it is."

"We might be a bit late," Bethany warned. "Tonight's just one of those nights, it seems."


	4. Magic Sort of Killed Malcolm

Isabela had left the Hanged Man at 9 but Emma and company hadn't done the same until 11:50 though Isabela was hardly their first stop. Since they were in Lowtown already, they decided to hit the two appointments that they already had there before doing anything else.

They went over to the docks to find a young boy being chased by some thugs and quickly dispatched them.

"Th-thank you," the boy said.

"Are you one of Athenril's men?" Bethany asked him.

The boy nodded. "Yes, ser. All the others were killed but I ran. The Coterie would have gotten me, too, if you hadn't shown up."

"Aren't you a little young to be doing this?" Carver asked sharply. "How old are you?"

"Old enough," the boy said indignantly. "I need this job, you see. I have sisters, you see, and I'm the only one who can get a job. We'd starve if I didn't do this."

"Must be refugees," Varric realized.

"Surely there must be something we can do to help this poor boy," Bethany said, pointedly eyeing the crate of smuggled goods lying near them.

"Well, we did save his life," Emma reminded them. "That's certainly a good deed and will almost certainly improve his quality of life over what he would have had if the Coterie had killed him."

"Because then he'd be dead," Carver told her.

"I feel really selfless right about now," Emma said brightly. "Now run along and take the goods back to Athenril, okay? Tell her we'll stop by for payment tomorrow."

"Will do," the boy promised before running off.

"Emma!" Carver admonished.

"What? I saved his life! How am I in trouble?" Emma demanded.

"You should have given the boy the smuggled goods and told Athenril that they were already gone when you got here so he could start a new life with his family and not get himself killed smuggling and leaving his sisters destitute," Carver lectured.

"Was I?" Emma asked, surprised. "First of all, nobody suggested such a thing to me and I'm not a mind reader. Secondly, that would have required me to both steal and lie. I really wish I weren't the only person here with any concept of morality…"

"Well it certainly is a more rigid code than others'," Varric remarked.

"Thanks," Emma said, grinning. "Now come on, I think Anso's supposed to be this way."

They found a dwarf staring at the wall behind him.

"Are you Anso?" Bethany called out gently.

The dwarf jumped three feet. "Oh, sweet mother of pearl! Don't scare me like that!"

"We were walking pretty loudly," Varric pointed out. "If we scared you it's only because you weren't paying attention and there's not much we can reasonably expect to do about that."

"Are you the human Athenril told me about?" Anso asked cautiously. Well, they were assuming he was Anso even though he had yet to confirm it one way or another.

"Despite the fact that there are three of us, I'm just going to assume that you mean Emma and yes, she is," Carver replied.

"We'd be happy to help you smuggle any amount of lyrium," Emma informed him.

"I rarely see such…enthusiasm," Anso said uncertainly. "Listen, I'm not usually so jumpy. I just haven't been on the surface very long and I keep thinking that I'll fall up into the sky at any moment."

"Huh. Bartrand used to be scared of that," Varric remarked. "Of course, I just figured it was because he was Bartrand. I guess he has one less issue than I thought. Not that that's saying a lot, of course."

Bethany giggled. "What a bizarre thing to be scared of."

"Oh, I don't know," Emma was quick to defend him. She had always had a bizarre fascination with dwarves. "I think it's quite understandable considering that he must have spent his entire life underground and the surface must seem as strange to him as living underground our entire lives seems to us."

"But we don't think we'll fall into the planet's core," Carver pointed out.

"No but we do worry that the infrastructure will suddenly decide to fall and crush us," Emma countered.

"…Point," Carver admitted reluctantly.

"What do you need us to do?" Bethany asked.

"One of my products has been…misplaced. I know where it is but since my supplier chose not to deliver it I don't think going there by myself is the best plan. If you find it and bring it back, I'll pay you for your services," Anso offered.

"Do we have to do more to anger the templars?" Carver complained. "I mean, isn't that whole rescue mission we're going for Anders enough? Isn't our special circumstances enough? Will you not be satisfied until they have formed an angry mob?"

"You worry too much," Emma said dismissively. "I'm sure this will go absolutely swimmingly. Now where did you say your stash was?"

"You know, it was a really good idea not to go find Aveline just yet," Bethany opined.

\----

"So…nothing here," Varric announced. "Either Anso won't be paying us or he's hiding something."

"He'd better be paying us," Carver growled. "It's not our fault it wasn't here."

They exited the empty Alienage house to find a bunch of mercenaries waiting for them.

"That's not the elf," one of them protested. "We were supposed to kill the elf."

"But we were also told to kill whoever exited the house," another one pointed out.

"I think that was done with the expectation that it would be the elf who did so," the first one argued.

"Attack?" Emma whispered. Her companions nodded and while the mercenaries were still arguing, the five took them out.

Once they were dispatched of (something that was always easier to do with mages around), they turned to go and an armored man came into view. "I don't know who you are but you made a serious mistake in coming here!"

"…In the Alienage? Is there some reason we shouldn't be in the Alienage at night?" Emma demanded. "Besides, they attacked us. Defending ourselves isn't a 'mistake.'"

The armored man turned to go without answering when another armored man stumbled drunkenly into the clearing before collapsing.

"I'm afraid your men are a bit dead right now," an elf with an intricate tattoo pattern announced as he stepped out of the shadows. "But not to worry, you'll soon join them."

"How dare you, slave!" the man hissed, reaching for his weapon.

The elf punched literally through the man. "I am not a slave."

Emma blinked. "Mistaken identity?"

"Not exactly," the elf replied. "My name is Fenris. I assume you are the ones that Anso chose to act as a distraction? If so, I apologize for there were far more mercenaries than I had anticipated."

"Yes, we are," Emma replied. "I'm Emma Hawke. These are my siblings, Carver and Bethany. That's Varric and Loghain."

"You don't need to introduce the dog, Hawke," Varric told her.

"You do if you're Ferelden," Emma disagreed.

"So those men were after you?" Carver demanded.

"They were," Fenris confirmed. "They were seeking to recover a Tevinter Magister's lost property…namely me."

"Don't be silly," Emma told him. "People aren't property."

"They often are in Tevinter," Fenris countered.

"And people call Ferelden backwards," Bethany muttered.

"Why in the world would they chase you from Tevinter to Kirkwall? It's not a short journey," Varric pointed out.

"No, it isn't," Fenris agreed. "And it's not really me they're after. You see these markings on my skin? They give me some unusual abilities and they're made from lyrium. Danarius wants it back, you see."

"But even though lyrium is expensive it still can't be more than what this Danarius guy is paying to track you down," Emma pointed out.

"I would imagine he finds the fact that his prized possession ran away from him to be quite embarrassing," Fenris remarked. "More so the more time passes and the continued success I have."

"You didn't have to lie to us, you know," Emma said reprovingly.

"Oh no? What would you have done if you knew that an escaped slave with limited means needed help facing an unknown number of mercenaries?" Fenris demanded.

"Totally done this before dealing with the Coterie," Emma replied.

"She's right," Carver declared. "Emma would have probably rushed to find Anso the minute she got the letter. She doesn't like slavers."

"No one actually likes slavers," Bethany spoke up. "But Emma especially despises them."

"They remind me of templars gone mad," Emma confided.

Fenris cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So you have mage sympathies then? Unfortunate. Still, I have met so few in my travels who would aid for more than personal gain so I suppose your misplaced sympathies are worth something. If you don't mind me asking…what was in the chest there?"

"Absolutely nothing," Varric answered. "What was supposed to be there?"

"It doesn't matter," Fenris said vaguely as he reached down to examine what was on one of the dead men. "It's as I thought. My former master accompanied them to the city. I'd intend to go to the mansion he's using and tear out his heart."

"Can we come?" Emma asked eagerly.

"We do have other things to do, you know," Carver reminded her.

"At midnight?" Fenris asked skeptically.

"In the Chantry, no less," Carver answered.

"I see. Well, if you can spare the time then I think it would be a good idea for the five of you to join me. Danarius' mansion will be far better guarded than this trap was," Fenris prophesized.

\----

"No one has left the mansion but I've heard nothing within," Fenris reported.

"Fenris, you do realize that we walked over here with you, right?" Emma asked. "And that we've only been standing out here for two minutes?"

"I do," Fenris confirmed. "Well, shall we?"

They entered the mansion and slowly began to explore it when shades materialized right in front of them.

"Ah! Demon!" Emma cried before shooting a fireball at it.

Fenris jerked and stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and moving on. "Let's hurry this up."

If Danarius hadn't known they were there before, he certainly did after that with the way Fenris started monologuing to Danarius about how they were going to kill him. Eventually, they had explored every room in the mansion (some multiple times) and Fenris was forced to concede defeat.

"Gone," Fenris said wearily. "Damn him. What's the point in coming all the way out here looking for me if he's just going to leave before even hearing that his ambush failed? I assume that he left valuables behind. You may take them if you wish. I'll be waiting outside when you're done."

"Will do," Carver said happily.

The other three took a moment to mildly freak out at the sight of a happy Carver before they began looting.

\----

"Magic ruins everything," Fenris complained the moment they exited the mansion. "And I can swear that it's stalking me."

"That seems a little far-fetched," Bethany replied. "There are mages virtually anywhere you choose to go."

"Yes, even aiding me in trying to track down my former master," Fenris said pointedly.

"Do you have some sort of a problem with Bethany or something?" Emma asked innocently.

"Not just her. I saw the pair of you tossing around spells earlier," Fenris said dangerously.

"Hey," Carver said authoritatively. "You have a problem with my sisters then you have a problem with me."

"You tell him, Carver," Bethany cheered.

Emma shrugged. "I guess that was a little sweet."

"I am no fool and I have seen mages with good intentions," Fenris said slowly. "Just the same, everyone faces temptation and some point in their life and a mage has both more temptation than most and more disastrous consequences for giving into that temptation. Tell me, mages: what exactly are you after?"

"I'm just trying to get by," Bethany answered. "And to preferably stay under the templar's radar."

"There are worse motives," Fenris grudgingly admitted. "But I have both seen and done some terrible things in the name of survival. And you?"

"Um…what do I want…Well, I guess I'd like to survive and not go to the Circle," Emma began. "I'd also like to hook up with Isabela again. And I want to get to know Anders some more because he is seriously hot. Then I want to get fifty sovereigns so we can go on that Deep Roads expedition and I want to get fabulously rich there so we can move out of my uncle's house. And I want people to stop treating me like I'm a refugee. And I want a pony. And I want-"

"Okay," Fenris cut her off. "I think we get the picture. Do you both acknowledge that your magic is a curse?"

"Of course not!" Emma scoffed.

"I…" Bethany hesitated. "What Emma said."

"Magic can twist even the most noble of intentions and it can kill people far easier than a sword," Fenris said solemnly.

Emma nodded. "Oh, we know. Magic killed our father, you know."

Carver rolled his eyes. "Oh it did not."

"You can't deny that without magic, it never would have happened," Emma insisted.

"But it was so indirect that blaming it on that is the height of ridiculousness," Carver protested.

"Am I to take it that one of you killed your father?" Fenris asked cautiously. "Albeit indirectly?"

"Oh, no," Bethany assured him. "Our father was a mage as well. He was Circle-trained, though, so he knew how to teach us."

"Then what happened?" Fenris pressed.

"One day there was a terrible snowstorm and we couldn't get out of our house. We were quite hungry so we decided to roast some chestnuts. Unfortunately, we had nothing to light the fire with and so our father used his magic to do so," Emma explained.

"And…he used too much power?" Varric guessed.

"What? Oh, no. He choked to death on one of the chestnuts," Emma clarified.

"How, exactly, can you blame magic for that?" Varric didn't get it.

"Well, if it hadn't been for the fact that my father was a mage and could start a fire then we probably would have had something else to eat," Emma replied.

"Even I would be a bit hesitant to blame magic for that," Fenris confessed. "Tell me, though: you have no magic and yet your sisters and father did. Weren't you ever threatened by this?"

"All the freaking time," Emma muttered.

Carver glared at her. "Not really. I trust my sisters not to get possessed and they wouldn't hurt me otherwise."

"For your sake, I do hope that your faith is not misplaced," Fenris said, though he sounded as though he very much doubted that.

Bethany's eye twitched. "You know, we're right here."

Fenris nodded. "I do. Listen, mages or not I still owe you a debt. Since I don't have much coin on me, I would like to offer my services in anything that I do not have a moral problem with…which pretty much translates to anything that would aid a mage."

"But since Sunshine and Hawke are both mages, wouldn't aiding them in any way give you some sort of a moral problem?" Varric asked logically.

"I meant mages as a whole or apostates," Fenris clarified. "Apostates other than these two, that is."

"Well, we are planning an expedition later. And we are going to get up to some hijinks in the Chantry. You might only be able to help with one of them, though, as the other involves other mages," Emma informed him.

"I suppose I can stand off to the side and ignore the situation," Fenris agreed. "Now, if that's all-"

"You know, I was trying to hold it in but I just can't do it anymore," Emma interrupted.

Carver groaned. "Oh, great."

"What is it?" Fenris asked curiously.

"You are really hot," Emma declared.

"You sound surprised," Fenris noted.

"I am, a little," Emma admitted. "I mean, I know that humans are all supposed to have raging elf fetishes but you're the first elf I've ever met that that looked even vaguely attractive so congratulations."

"Thanks…I think…" Fenris said awkwardly.

"What time is it, anyway?" Bethany wondered.

"1:45," Varric replied. "But they'll probably still be there. And if not…well, we tried."


	5. Totally Ripping Off Maric

The group had just spotted Isabela waiting for them in the Chantry Courtyard when they were set upon by yet another random large group of people who attacked them for no discernable reason. It wasn't like they were even trying to rob them. One never could go more than ten feet without getting attacked by one so it was remarkable that they didn't seem to take offense to each others' presence.

Isabela merely waved to them and then stood back and watched as the group (who had shouted something about avenging Denerim although none of them were quite sure what they had ever done to cause it to need avenging and two-thirds of it was Ferelden anyway) set upon the six.

When it was over, she huffed exasperatedly at them. "It took you long enough!"

"We might have been able to kill them all faster had you deigned to help," Fenris told her, crossing his arms.

"First off, let me remark that you are remarkably attractive and if we spend any significant time in each other's company then it is inevitable that we will have sex," Isabela told him. "Secondly, that wasn't what I meant. Though if it was, I couldn't very well have helped you out!"

"Oh, don't even try to tell me that you don't believe in getting involved in other people's fights, Rivaini, because I have seen the bar brawls," Varric drawled.

"Yes, but that's different. I'm a lot drunker then and I believe that duels should be conducted sober," Isabela explained. "I hope you know that you lot have kept me waiting for hours!"

"Just two hours," Bethany protested. "You're making it sound a lot worse than it is."

"Two hours and fifteen minutes," Emma corrected.

"Not helping," Carver muttered.

"I disagree. I believe that I am being a great help in preserving accuracy," Emma declared.

"I mean, not helping our side," Carver clarified.

Emma stuck her nose in the air. "I stand with the side of accuracy first and foremost. All other petty considerations come as a distant second."

"I've actually been waiting here for five hours," Isabela explained.

"But…we were only supposed to meet you two hours and fifteen minutes ago," Bethany objected.

Isabela shrugged. "I like to be early. So far no one has showed up. While we wait, mind telling me a little about your friend?"

"Sure," Emma said cheerfully. "This is Fenris, the one attractive elf in Kirkwall. He used to be a slave but don't call him that or he'll probably kill you."

"It's true," Fenris admitted. "And I am not comfortable being called the 'friend' of two mages."

"You can be my friend," Isabela offered. "I'm no mage."

"You haven't met Orsino, have you?" Varric asked rhetorically. "I've heard people squealing about him. Apparently he has a nice voice, too, but I wouldn't know. Nobody compares with Bianca."

"I am not actually convinced that the First Enchanter and Knight-Commander really exist and are not just propaganda pieces for their respective sides," Emma replied.

"That's the wench we're looking for!" a woman exclaimed, running up with two minions behind her. "Gut her!"

"But…it's seven on three," one of the minions protested.

"I'm sure they'll just watch us kill her and then just stand there while we're forced to kill them all one at a time to prevent witnesses," the woman assured them.

"That kind of reasoning is worse than Emma's," Carver marveled.

"Maybe we should have actually shown up at midnight like we were supposed to," the second minion remarked.

"I said gut her!" the woman ordered.

Of course, seven on three is really horrid odds and the three were soon dead.

The Hawke siblings immediately began to loot the corpses.

"Hey look, explicit orders for these people to meet that guy Isabela was supposed to duel in the Chantry after she's dead," Bethany said, holding up the letter.

"Hayder sent them," Isabela declared. "Search the bodies. We need to find out where he is."

The others exchanged looks.

"Yeah, we already did that," Carver pointed out but Isabela didn't seem to hear him.

"Let's go to the Chantry," Varric suggested. "She can catch up."

At the door to the Chantry they found Anders.

"Are you aware that it's now two and a half hours past when you were supposed to meet me?" he demanded.

"We're very sorry that we put literally everything that came up before you," Emma apologized. "We'd like to say it won't happen again but, well, we're really not sure."

Fenris groaned. "Not another mage."

Anders narrowed his eyes. "Do you have something against mages?"

"I hate all mages," Fenris declared. "And after being enslaved to a sadistic Tevinter Magister who is still trying to hunt me down and kill me so he can reclaim the lyrium markings he put all over my body that I never asked…well, I think I'm entitled."

"You know, I've always thought that the lot of mages was a great deal like slavery," Anders replied. "I can't believe you are supporting slavery after everything you've been through! You are such a hypocrite!"

Fenris twitched. "I think I hate you."

"Oh, good, it's not just me," Anders replied. "Listen, Karl went in about two and a half hours ago. I didn't see any templars but that doesn't mean they aren't here. I'll do all the talking and you watch for templars."

"Oh, we're not ready just yet," Emma said apologetically. "We have to go find Isabela. If you'll wait right here, I'll be right back."

"I'm going with you," Carver insisted. "It will save us a lot of time and effort, I'm sure."

Emma just shrugged and she and her brother made their way back down to Isabela.

"Isabela, come on," Carver urged. "We've got to go find what's-his-name."

"This is strange," Emma remarked. "But maybe…you know how after Bethany found that letter, Isabela said we should search the corpses?"

"Yeah…" Carver said slowly, wondering where she was going with this.

"Maybe we should put the letter back on the corpse and then take it out again and show it to Isabela now that she told us to do it!" Emma exclaimed.

Carver stared at her. "That…sounds really, really stupid."

Emma crossed her arms. "Do you have any better ideas, brother dear?"

"…No," Carver was forced to admit. "Fine, just do it."

Emma bent down and placed the letter back on the corpse. She waited a few seconds before removing it again. "Isabela! This letter says that Hayder is waiting in the Chantry!"

Sure enough, this time Isabela reacted. "Hiding in the Chantry and sending thugs to do his dirty work? He'll not get away with this," she vowed before racing off to the Chantry.

"What was that all about?" Carver asked, baffled, as they ran after her.

Emma just shrugged. "Some people have odd quirks."

The minute they stepped foot in the Chantry, a man – presumably Hayder – foolishly stepped out of the shadows to confront them personally. "Isabela. Should have known you'd find me here."

"Well, you did have a letter detailing exactly where you were in the hands of someone you sent to ambush me even though you could have just as easily verbally told her and since I was supposed to be alone – and actually was for five hours – you didn't really have to hide from me," Isabela pointed out.

"I wasn't hiding!" Hayder said indignantly. "I was…er…never mind that! Where's the relic, Isabela?"

"Which relic would this be, again?" Isabela asked innocently.

"You know, the relic that you stole from the qunari that are stranded here and its loss is probably what is preventing them from going home," Hayder explained. "Where is it?"

"I lost it," Isabela said simply.

Hayder's eyes bulged out. "You lost it? You stupid…how in the world could you lose it?"

"Funny story. Apparently I do have a limit to how much alcohol I can drink without passing out," Isabela said, laughing nervously.

"First all that cargo you stole, now this…Castillon is going to kill you, Isabela. Unless I do so first," Hayder threatened, fingering his weapon. "And you are absolutely going to deserve it."

"I didn't 'steal his cargo'," Isabela protested. "I freed those Blight refugees you charged to take out of Ferelden and then were selling into slavery!"

"Selling into slavery in a land not ravaged by the Blight," Hayder pointed out. "We were absolutely keeping our end of the bargain. It might not have been what they wanted, but it was what they agreed to."

"You freed slaves?" Fenris said, sounding a little impressed. "And you're not a mage, either, although your…chin ring is a little disturbing. Maybe getting to know you better wouldn't be so bad, after all."

"Score!" Isabela cheered. "This is the first positive thing to come out of me doing that. This just reaffirms my faith in giving into my impulses. Good thing, too, as I never had any intention of doing anything differently."

"Attack!" Hayder ordered. Nothing happened.

"Sorry," Fenris apologized, not sounding very sincere. "While you were all talking, I was quietly killing your half a dozen men. I have a short attention span."

Isabela smirked. "I like you." She threw her dagger at Hayder and hit him between the eyes. "Well now that that's over with…Castillon will find me eventually, even if I did actually believe in subtlety and keeping a low profile. Hopefully, I'll find the relic before then."

"Yes, you said that you stole the relic from the huge army of qunari who aren't leaving until you give it back?" Carver asked her. "In what universe did that seem like a good idea?"

"In the universe where finding the relic is the only way Castillon isn't going to kill me," Isabela shot back.

"Why can't you just wait for him to show up and then kill him?" Carver asked. "Because seriously, I hardly think one man and whatever minions he cares to throw at you is worth living in a city with a trapped qunari army who will eventually lose patience and rise up and kill us all."

"You seriously worry too much," Emma told him.

"Dealing with hired thugs does get tedious," Fenris opined. "If she were really going to try to deal with Castillon, she should just go to him. Unless, of course, he were in some sort of smuggler stronghold. Like Tevinter."

"Tevinter is a smuggler stronghold?" Bethany asked, blinking.

"No, I think he meant that the reason he's not following his own advice is because going back to Tevinter would be suicide since it's a mage stronghold," Varric explained.

"I've always thought Tevinter sounded nice," Anders spoke up.

"Yes, well you're a mage," Fenris reminded him.

"Can I help you look for the relic?" Emma asked Isabela.

Isabela blinked. "Why would you want to do that?"

"My sister has a compulsive helping-people thing," Bethany explained. "She sees someone in need of help, she tries to help them."

"Sometimes even when this is not in her best interest," Carver added.

"I have to admit, I don't even really know what the relic is," Isabela revealed. "I think it was some sort of book."

"It's probably a sacred text of theirs," Fenris suggested.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"What? I spent some time in Seheron," he said defensively.

"Since I don't even know where to begin looking for the relic, I'm just kind of going to hope the information drops into my lap," Isabela decided. "Furthermore, this leaves me with nothing much to do and since I'm interested in more than one of you, I think I'll hang around. For now. I may randomly ditch you later, fair warning."

"Well, as long as you tell us in advance," Emma said indulgently.

"This is all well and good but can we please focus on my problem now?" Anders asked them. "I see Karl and this fight is sure to have attracted some attention."

"I can't believe we killed someone in the Chantry," Bethany murmured, shaking her head as they walked over to Anders' friend. "That is so King Maric."

"I don't believe that really happened," Carver said stubbornly.

"I do. If it didn't then why wouldn't Maric have ever denied it?" Emma challenged.

"Because it was an absurd claim," Carver replied.

"Whatever makes you feel better," Emma said patronizingly, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Karl. Sorry I'm, what, three hours late," Anders greeted his once-lover. "It really wasn't my fault."

"Anders. I know you too well. I knew you'd be here," Karl said in a monotonous voice. He wasn't facing them.

"Well, yeah. Didn't you guys make plans to meet up?" Emma asked.

"What's wrong?" Anders asked worriedly. "Why are you talking like…Fuck."

Karl had turned to face them and there was a mark on his forehead.

"Ew," Emma said, making a face. "He has a tattoo on his forehead? And not even a very interesting tattoo either."

"That's not a tattoo," Anders said solemnly. "He's Tranquil."

"He's what?" Carver asked blankly.

"He was stripped of his connection to the Fade and thus his magic," Fenris explained. "It's quite useful in keeping mages safe while not requiring that they be locked up."

"At the cost of their emotions!" Anders burst out.

Fenris shrugged. "I didn't say it was a perfect system."

"Well, even if this is a by-product of being Tranquil or something it still means that he has a tattoo," Emma insisted.

"You completed your Harrowing, though! This isn't legal!" Anders burst out.

"And yet it happened anyway," Karl said simply.

"I hate to break it to you, Blondie, but I think your friend led the templars straight to us," Varric said, eyeing the templars that were closing in on them.

"This is the apostate," Karl said, pointing at Anders.

"Wow, lack of emotions or not this Karl is kind of an asshole," Emma remarked.

"No!" Anders shouted, his eyes flashing an unnatural blue. He doubled over and started shaking, as if he were in pain.

"Now's really not the time for a medical emergency," Isabela complained. "Seriously, this is your mess we're dealing with."

"I find this immoral so I will just watch," Fenris declared.

Anders jerked back to his feet and, in a much deeper voice than normal, bellowed, "You will not take another mage as you took him!" The same blue glow was present in the cracks that had appeared on his face and in the energy that had formed behind him. The others didn't even have to do anything as he quickly took out the templars.

"You know," Carver said once it was over. "It's really things like this that make me wonder why we had to spend a life on the run."

"We were afraid of the genuinely competent templars," Bethany reminded him. "Of which father assured us that even though we'd never met, they did exist."

"I…" Karl trailed off, shaking himself. "Anders, what did you do? It's like you brought a piece of the Fade into this world."

"Did Blondie just cure Tranquility?" Varric asked, stunned. "There's a market in this…"

"No, it won't last long," Karl told him. "Even now I feel it fading. Anders, please! While I may be…content like that, it's truly abhorrent now that I can feel horror. Please, don't let me go back to that."

"But I…I can't save you," Anders protested, the glow in his eyes fading.

"You can," Karl insisted. "Kill me. Please. I don't have a weapon or anything. They didn't trust me that much, even dead as I was."

"Karl, no…" Anders said helplessly, sounding on the verge of tears.

Everyone looked to Emma.

"What?" she asked. "I don't care if he does it or not. You people need to make your own damn important life decisions without my input."

"I would have just killed him anyway so I'm not sure why I bothered looking for a second opinion," Anders admitted. He took out his knife. "There is no curing this. The dreams of Tranquil mages are severed from the Fade and I cannot stay like that all the time. Goodbye. I am so sorry." With that, he stabbed Karl.

"It is so good to be a dwarf," Varric declared. "I feel that way in general but now especially. We're never connected to the Fade."

"You realize that now we've ripped off Maric twice?" Emma demanded.

Carver's eye twitched. "That. Never. Happened."


	6. Vetting the Possible LI

After all of the excitement at the Chantry was taken care of, the Hawke siblings stumbled home and to bed where they didn't get up until half-past noon.

Emma decided that she wanted to go see Anders and then talk to Aveline. Carver decided to go with her while Bethany stayed at Gamlen's looking for the amulet Flemeth had charged them with delivering.

"Remind me why, exactly, you're following me to Anders'?" Emma asked, her eyes twitching, as they walked to the clinic.

"Because if I don't then there's a decent chance you'll start dating a psycho," Carver said matter-of-factly.

"Now where would I meet a psycho at Anders' clinic?" Emma asked him. "One of the patients?"

"I was talking more about the healer himself," Carver replied.

"Anders is great," Emma insisted. "I like him."

"Did you see what he did to those templars this morning?" Carver demanded.

Emma sighed dreamily. "Oh, I saw all right…"

"That had the opposite effect on you that it would have on someone sane, didn't it?" Carver asked tiredly.

Emma ignored him as she stepped into the clinic. "Anders! Lovely to see you!"

"Oh, hello Emma, Carver," Anders said, coming over to them. "You caught me at a good time. No one needs immediate attention."

"Do you have our maps?" Carver asked bluntly.

Anders nodded and pulled them out of a pocket in his robes. "Yes, here they are. Now listen, I think I owe you an explanation about what happened earlier."

"No explanation necessary," Carver said hurriedly. "Now, if you don't mind us, we'll be going now. Please don't contact us."

Emma stayed where she was. "I want to hear his story! He's cute!"

"Can't you ever like anyone not crazy?" Carver asked, annoyed.

"Carver, try to think about me with a not crazy person and tell me how you think that relationship would go," Emma said reasonably – for once.

Carver did as she asked and quickly paled. "Oh Maker…less crazy, then? Surely that's not out?"

"I like him," Emma said stubbornly, pointing to Anders.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Anders asked, concerned. "I mean, you saw what happened in the Chantry."

Carver pounced on that. "What exactly did happen in there?"

"Does it matter?" Emma asked rhetorically. "He killed those templars quite nicely."

"It does matter, actually," Anders told her. "Back when I was a Warden, I was forced physically into the Fade where I met a spirit of Justice."

"And this demon of Justice possessed you?" Carver guessed.

Anders shook his head. "No, no, no. He's not a demon. He's a spirit. There's a difference, you know. Demons embody the sins of mankind while spirits emulate their virtues. Desire, rage, pride, those are all demons. Valor, compassion, justice…those are the spirits."

"That makes no sense," Carver argued. "Just because the Chantry wanted to humanize these demons doesn't mean there's really such a thing as a good spirit."

"The thing about spirits is that they choose their name. They choose what virtue to embody. It doesn't matter what the Chantry's stance is because Justice was the one who told us to call him that because he sought to be a living embodiment of Justice," Anders said heatedly. "And do you know what he was doing the first time we met? He was calling out an Orlesian blood mage Baroness who habitually stolen villagers for her rituals because it was her 'right' and then when the villagers rose up against her she took them all to the Fade with them and was holding them prisoner!"

"You really could have just stopped at 'Orlesian' and we would have gotten the picture that she was evil," Emma informed him.

"Justice had no ulterior motive for helping those poor people, all he wanted was to end an injustice and, with our help, he did," Anders finished. "How does that make him a bad spirit?"

"How does one go from defending the helpless to possessing a mage and slaughtering people?" Carver countered.

"They're hardly innocent people," Emma interjected. "They're templars."

"And that makes indiscriminately killing them okay?" Carver couldn't believe it. His sister was uncompromisingly pro-mage but that was really going a little far. "Does the act of being a templar make them pure evil in your eyes?"

"Do you really want an answer to that?" Emma asked.

"Probably not," Carver admitted, sighing again. "But you dated a templar!"

"And that was quite the messy break-up, remember?" Emma shot back.

"When we managed to get free of the Fade, Justice was forced back with us. It's not like he wanted to come to our world but he hadn't had a choice and there was no way for him to get back," Anders picked up his narrative. "He was trapped in a corpse and what did he decide to do? Help us kill darkspawn to avenge the injustice that was the man he was inhabiting's death. Corpses decay, however, and so he needed a new host in order to stay in the mortal world. I figured a willing friend was the best choice and so I volunteered to serve as his host. Is that so wrong?"

"Let me think…yes, yes, an emphatic yes," Carver replied promptly.

"Why?" Anders challenged.

Carver snorted. "Do I really need to answer that?"

Anders crossed his arm. "I asked, didn't I?"

"You can't have a host without a parasite," Carver pointed out. "Parasites are thus named because they benefit at the expense of their host."

"Justice is not benefiting at my expense!" Anders argued. "He gives me the power to do things I couldn't do otherwise."

"Which you can't seem to control making it at best useless and at worse a menace to society," Carver countered. "Just because you don't seem to mind doesn't make it not parasitism. Then there's the fact that Justice should have gone back to the Fade when the body he was stuck in decayed. Why didn't he? Sounds a lot like that human sin you were mentioning demons have. What was it? Oh right: desire."

Anders eyes glowed blue. "I desire nothing!" Just as abruptly, the light in his eyes faded.

Carver nodded. "Yes, that's definitely under control."

"Hey, you're the one accusing him of being a demon," Anders said indignantly. "You can't expect him to listen to that calmly."

"So anytime anyone calls him a demon he freaks out? What if he comes out when a templar is going after an innocent mage and then the mages gets scared and calls him a demon? Will he kill him or her?" Carver demanded.

"Of course not!" Anders snapped. "Justice and I were planning on working together, to bring justice to every mage who was ever ripped away from her mother's arms to be sent to the Circle. We wanted to stop the fate that your sisters managed to avoid. But…" he sighed. "I guess I had too much anger in me. Once he was inside, he…changed. He's no longer my friend Justice."

"You tried to help a friend!" Emma declared passionately. "Surely no harm can come of that!"

"Except…all the time that bad things do happen because of that," Carver said, valiantly trying to resist using his 'are you stupid' tone. "What if your friend is on the run from the guards because they killed someone. Would helping them escape be the right thing? Or say your friend gets possessed by a demon. Would sheltering them be the right thing? Or say your friend is a demon that wants to possess you. Would doing as they ask be the right thing to do? Or say your friend needs your help to do bad things. Would that qualify as a bad thing?"

"Maybe that last one," Emma admitted. "But as for the other ones…if I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."

"Well I wouldn't!" Carver exclaimed. "That's a horrible thing to say! If my friend ever crossed that line and made supporting him legitimate treason – not just corrupt leaders claiming it's treason – then they are on their own."

"See, that's why you have trouble making friends," Emma said sagely.

"No, I think it's because I couldn't afford to get close to people since more than half my family are apostates and we've been busy this past year. Not to mention that no one cares about refugees…" Carver said glumly.

"So…did anyone actually want to weigh in on what I said?" Anders said, bringing them back on track. "And by 'anyone' I mostly meant Carver since he is an appalling mage-hater."

"I do not hate mages!" Carver insisted.

"Could have fooled me," Anders muttered.

"You do tend to rail against magic an awful lot," Emma said, looking thoughtful.

"That's because your views on immediate and uncompromised freedom for all mages are delusional," Carver argued. " 'Poor mages' or not, untrained mages are just as much a danger to themselves as to others and a mage versus the vast majority of non-mages isn't even a fair fight. Still, you and Bethany are both mages and I don't hate you."

"So they're different because they're your sisters," Anders said, sounding disgusted. "They don't 'count.' Is that it?"

"Hardly," Carver scoffed. "I just know that they both – yes, even Emma – know what they're doing with their powers and won't get possessed. We've been here a year and not a week goes by where I don't see a crazy blood mage killing people in the streets! I'm for moderation, here. Emma and Bethany don't need to be locked up not because they're my sisters but because they don't target innocents."

"Your sisters really are something, aren't they?" Anders said, smiling appreciatively Emma's way.

Carver looked away from the sickening display. "Anders, I'm not sure it's healthy to blame yourself for the fact that Justice turned into a demon. I mean, yes you were angry but do you really think you had more anger in you than your average person on the street? And even if you do, this really is just a cautionary tale about why you don't let a demon possess you…even if they say they're your friend. I mean, don't they teach these things at the Circle?"

"When you're six," Anders explained. "I was a bit older when I was brought in so I missed that lesson. And of course this is my fault! Nothing bad happened when he possessed Kristoff!"

"Wasn't Kristoff kind of, um, dead?" Carver asked awkwardly.

Anders nodded. "What's your point?"

"Possessing a corpse is probably easier than possessing a living being," Carver philosophized. "You only have to deal with echoes and not a living, breathing person who is constantly feeling and reacting to things. Blaming yourself for his problems makes it sound like you're in an abusive relationship, I'm not going to lie."

"It's not like that," Anders said flatly. "Justice doesn't really exist as a separate entity anymore. We can't talk and I can hear his thoughts as my own. No one could tell you where Justice ends and I begin."

"Except when you get glowy eyes," Emma piped up, not really interested in the debate her brother and potential love interest were engaging in. "Then we're reasonably sure it's Justice."

"You know, I hate actually admitting this but…Emma's right," Carver said, looking physically pained. "You talk about him like he's a separate entity and sometimes he takes over. You are separate entities. It's like…you partially merged or something. Or like you just have two personalities which, by the way, doesn't make you sound any less crazy. I can see why she likes you." He jerked his thumb Emma's way.

"At least one of you does," Anders sniffed. "Listen, Emma, you have my maps and if you need me for anything else at all please don't hesitate to let me know. The life of a possessed apostate healer isn't anywhere near as exciting as you'd think it might be."

"Do you want to go out sometime?" Emma blurted.

Anders stared at her. "…I'm possessed."

"Is that a 'maybe'?" Emma asked hopefully.

\----

Afterwards, the pair decided to stop by and finally see Aveline.

"Yes?" she asked distractedly, barely glancing up from her paperwork. "What do you want?"

Emma looked hurt. "Aveline, we haven't seen you in nearly a month! That's long enough for you to show a bit more interest in seeing us and not nearly long enough for us to be strangers!"

Aveline blinked and looked sheepish. "Sorry, I forgot how long it's been."

"You've been blatantly abusing your power as a guard to have us followed again, huh?" Carver realized.

Aveline colored. "I am not abusing my power! You three are troublemakers. You used to be smugglers and two of you are apostates!"

"Say that louder, why don't you," Carver muttered, looking around nervously.

"Why?" Emma asked innocently. "I heard her just fine. Is there something wrong with your ears, Carver?"

"Why is it that the guard is fine with you doing this and yet they keep rejecting my petition to join them?" Carver demanded.

"Carver, you would make a horrible guard," Aveline said bluntly. "Being a guard is about thinking about others before yourself."

"And I would be horrible at that because…?" Carver prompted. "Aveline, you know that's the story of my life."

"And you seem tired of it," Aveline pointed out.

"If I seem tired of 'it' then that's only taking care of my sisters with no thanks and without getting anything out of it," Carver argued. "Particularly when Emma has no regard for the concept of discretion and half the time I think Bethany wants to end up in the Circle!"

"I'm sorry, Carver, but the guardsmen are held to a higher standard," Aveline claimed. "By the way, now that you're no longer a smuggler you should really get a job instead of this stupid expedition I heard you joined."

"A job as what?" Carver demanded. "No one wants to hire a refugee and you won't let me be a guard. Who am I supposed to turn to, the templars?"

"You really should stop making excuses," Aveline said seriously. "Emma, your brother's a bit of a tit."

"Why do we still hang out with you?" Carver wondered aloud. "You only ever have negative things to say about me and Emma killed your husband."

"And I will have my revenge," Aveline said serenely.

Carver started. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Aveline lied.

"I think she just doesn't like you, Carver, and that's why she's being so ridiculously hard on you and yelling at you for not improving yourself while simultaneously sabotaging your attempts to do so," Emma theorized.

"For once, I think you're right," Carver told her. "Wait…didn't I think you were right about something earlier today? Maker, I must not be feeling well…"

Aveline crossed her arms, annoyed. "Did you two actually want something?"

"We wanted to know if you know of any opportunities to earn money so we can buy our way into an expedition you think is reckless, stupid, and a waste of time and money," Emma explained.

"Well…there's no guarantee that you'll actually get paid for this but there's a caravan raid going on at Sundermount in two days," Aveline told them. "I really can't stop it by myself so I'll need your help."

"Can we loot the bodies of the ambushers and then sell their stuff?" Emma asked eagerly.

Aveline nodded. "I don't see why not. Just don't take anything from the caravan itself, okay? There's no point in stopping an ambush if we're just going to take everything."

"Unless the point was to make a lot of money," Carver pointed out.

Aveline glared at him.

"What?" he asked, holding up his hands defensively. "I'm just saying…"

"This is exactly why you would make a horrible guard," Aveline sniffed.

"I didn't say it was a good idea or that I would ever do that, just that it's a valid reason to stop an ambush only to rob it yourself!" Carver insisted. "What are you writing down?"

"The date, time, and quote for the next time you apply," Aveline explained, scribbling away furiously.

"Joining the templars isn't supposed to be an attractive option!" Carver complained.


	7. Babies Beware

"So as much as I appreciate the chance to get away from Kirkwall, I'm still not sure why we are visiting the Dalish," Emma confessed as they were approaching the local Dalish encampment. "Don't they eat babies?"

"Of course they don't!" Bethany said, appalled. "How can you say that?"

"It's what everybody says about them," Emma sniffed. "I wouldn't know if it was true or not since I have never met a Dalish before."

"It had better not be true," Aveline growled. "That kind of thing is hardly legal and the guards will not stand for that."

"So you'd risk starting species riots and wiping out the Dalish clan when you're only a guard?" Varric thought that was a terrible idea. "At least mention the bit about all Dalish Keepers being mages and drag the templars into it as well."

"I vote that we not drag the templars into it, actually," Anders spoke up. "Because, really, that sounds like a horrible idea. Getting the templars involved is always a horrible idea."

"The law is the law and in this case it's based on morality and common decency," Aveline declared. "I will follow this path and let it lead me where it may."

"You are so repressed it isn't even funny," Isabela complained. "Live a little!"

"I hardly need advice from you, Isabela," Aveline snapped.

"No, the correct response is 'shut up, whore'," Isabela corrected.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked uncomfortably. "I mean, call me a prude but that sounds like a horrible thing to call someone. Even if you aren't using that word as a weapon, it's still a derogatory term for a woman who sleeps with a lot of men while there isn't a corresponding term for men. In fact, they're often congratulated for it while the women are shamed."

"I'm not literally a whore," Isabela explained patiently. "I've given coin for sex but never received it. 'Whore' is also a word that people will lob at any woman in an attempt to break them, no matter what their sexual history. I've been called it often enough in my time that I decided to stop letting it bother me. If people use it when they aren't trying to hurt people, it helps take away the power that word has."

"Odds on her having just made that up on the spot?" Varric asked rhetorically.

"That does sound like a good point," Emma admitted reluctantly. "But it still makes me uncomfortable and I don't like hearing it. Say it again in my presence and I'm telling you now I will start crying and force you to deal with it."

Isabela paled. "Fine, fine. Aveline and I can talk about it when you're not around."

"I'd really rather not," Aveline said bluntly.

"Why can't you care about real issues, Emma?" Carver demanded.

Emma glared at him. "I do too care about real issues! Why, do you have any idea what Anders said the mages have gone through since yesterday? I am appalled, I tell you! Absolutely appalled!"

"Any real issues that don't have the potential to affect you personally," Carver amended.

Emma opened her mouth and then closed it again. "I got nothing."

"Hold, shemlen!" the Dalish guard to the encampment ordered. "You too, durgen'len."

Fenris shrugged and walked right past them but though they hadn't said anything about Loghain, he chose to stay with Emma.

His partner kept staring at Varric. "You've never seen a dwarf before, have you?" Varric asked, amused.

"No…" the elf lied unconvincingly.

"What are you doing here?" the first guard demanded. "Your kind has no legitimate business among the Dalish."

"Oh, right, and Fenris does?" Anders scoffed.

"He is an elf and therefore he is clearly here to become one of us," the guard said as if it were obvious. "He even tried to do vallaslin himself."

"What?" Bethany asked politely.

The guard gestured to his face. "Our markings."

"…Let's go with that, sure," Carver agreed.

"Are you here to kill us all?" the guard asked suspiciously. "I knew shemlens shouldn't be trusted! Sound the alarm!"

"Hey, hey, we're not here to kill you all!" Carver objected.

"Is that so, huh?" the guard asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, you're good. You're very good. How many of us are you here to kill then? Just the men? Are the women and children safe? Are you planning on dragging them to the Alienage and indoctrinating them into your slave culture?"

"I find that offensive," Fenris called from thirty feet away. "Alienage elves can't understand my pain."

"We're not planning on killing anyone," Carver stressed.

"And we do not anticipate any spontaneous killing to occur," Varric jumped in, sensing a potential opening.

"Unless, of course, you really eat babies," Aveline qualified. "Do you?"

"Of course not!" the guard cried out, outraged. "Everyone knows that's what the qunari do! You're so prejudiced!"

"Pot meet kettle," Isabela said, amused.

"Why are you here?" the guard asked again, sounding dangerously close to losing what little patience he possessed.

"That's what I want to know!" Emma exclaimed.

Bethany sighed. "Emma, we talked about this, remember? While you and Carver were gone yesterday, I searched through your room and found that amulet Flemeth gave us that we were supposed to deliver to the Keeper."

"Really?" Emma looked intrigued. "I must not have been listening. Where did you find it?"

"Underneath your bow," Bethany replied matter-of-factly.

Emma groaned. "Oh, no wonder."

"Emma likes to pretend she doesn't have a bow," Carver explained to the others. "She really isn't a fan of archery."

Varric looked horrified at this.

"It's different with Bianca, I swear!" Emma cried out.

"Hey, didn't the Keeper tell us that someone was coming by with an amulet?" the second guard asked suddenly. "Granted we were expecting it a year ago but…"

"I thought they'd be elven," the first guard said, looking put-out. "Well…sort of elven. We Dalish are the last of the elvhen, after all, and we didn't expect the messenger to be Dalish."

"So you say," Fenris deadpanned, now even farther away from them. "Frequently."

"Well, since you have claimed that you're doing some vague task that happens to coincide with something we expected a long time ago, we trust you completely and you may come into our camp," the guard invited. "But be warned, we may decide to shoot you if we think you're thinking negative things about the Dalish."

"This is why no one takes the Dalish seriously," Fenris claimed, so far away by this point that they could barely hear him.

"How is he doing that?" Anders demanded, trying and failing to hide his jealousy.

"If you say it's because of the ears, you're being speciest," the guard warned them.

The group decided it was best not to push their luck before they even got into the camp and so just let it go as they searched for the Dalish Keeper. They didn't know who the Keeper was and asking only earned them accusations of thinking that all elves looked the same. Fortunately, a distinguished-looking elderly elven woman eventually came to investigate the disturbance and they learned that they had found Keeper Marethari.

"I was told to bring you this amulet," Emma said in an important-sounding voice, holding out the amulet like she had had anything to do with them being there.

Marethari peered closely at Emma but did not touch the amulet. "There's truth in your face. A rare thing for a human."

"So you're allowed to be speciest?" Aveline asked, annoyed.

Marethari nodded. "Our camp, our rules."

Emma beamed at this. "I'm so glad somebody noticed!"

"We've all noticed and it's irritated all of us," Carver countered.

"Tell me how this burden befell you, child," Marethari requested.

"Burden?" Emma repeated blankly. "What burden?"

"The amulet," Marethari clarified. "How were you charged with it?"

"It wasn't really a burden," Emma disagreed. "It's just that we were under attack by darkspawn and this old dragon who turned into something resembling a qunari appeared and offered to get us passage out of the country if we took the amulet to you. Carver lost it but Bethany found it again and so we took the hour trip up here to hand it off. Really, not at all burdensome."

"The amulet that I lost?" Carver couldn't believe it.

Emma nodded. "That is what I just said, yes."

Carver decided he didn't even want to know how she had managed to convince herself that this was his fault. A thought struck him. "Hey, how did you even know we were coming?"

"I listened. To the wind. To the birds, as the hunters do. To my dreams. I watched the stars. There is great wisdom to be found all around us, if you know how to listen for it," Marethari said airily.

Anders groaned. "Oh Maker, don't tell me she's…"

"I think she might be," Varric said grimly.

"What are you two talking about?" Aveline asked sharply.

"They're wondering if Marethari might be an MPDG," Isabela explained. "So am I, for that matter."

"A what?" Bethany asked, confused.

"A Manic Pixie Dream Girl," Isabela informed her. "It is, and I quote, 'an attractive, high on life, full of wacky quirks and idiosyncrasies – generally including childlike playfulness and a tendency towards petty crime – woman often inexplicably obsessed with a soulful, brooding male who is living a sheltered, emotionless existence on whom she will focus her crazy antics until he learns to live and love'."

"That sounds outright horrifying," Carver said, shuddering.

"You have no idea," Fenris called faintly to them, nowhere in sight.

"Seriously, what is he even doing?" Anders wondered.

"Killing those Flint Company Mercenaries some guy requested dead," Fenris replied. "I have no idea why he wants them dead but I'm bored."

"Anders and I have been harassed by our fair share of MPDG," Varric confided. "Since I got Bianca, I've pretty much been able to avoid them but before…well, fortunately for me MPDG tend to end up living out life happily with their chosen victim or dead."

"I am not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl," Marethari insisted, eye twitching.

"We really don't care if you are or not, just don't latch on to us," Anders requested. "We're the wrong species anyway and surely if the Dalish Keeper thought it was a good idea to mate with a human then the younger generation will be completely sold on the idea and good luck making enough Dalish babies for the next generation. Of course, there's always Fenris but-"

"Anders!" Bethany rebuked.

"Hey, I have a question," Isabela said suddenly. "I travel a lot and so I've met Dalish elves before. In fact, I even met your clan before back in Ferelden. Why do you suddenly have accents now when you didn't in the past?"

Marethari coughed awkwardly. "Well…"

"Well?" Emma repeated.

"At our last Arlathvhen, we decided that we Dalish did not have enough to set us apart from the city elves," Marethari admitted. "One clan had adopted these accents with great effect so they sent around some of their members to act as voice coaches in the other clans."

"This is also why no one takes the Dalish seriously," Fenris shouted.

"I am thankful for what you've done, make no mistake," Marethari told them gratefully.

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?" Varric asked, sighing.

"But your part in this is not done yet," Marethari informed them.

"Of course it is!" Carver insisted. "Flemeth said bring the amulet to you, we brought the amulet to you."

"That is true," Marethari agreed. "However, the amulet must be taken to an altar at the top of the mountain and given a Dalish rite for the departed."

"Why is that our problem?" Carver demanded.

"Because then you'll return the amulet to me and your debt will be repaid," Marethari replied.

"We were told to give you the amulet, not give it to you twice!" Carver protested.

"And yet I haven't touched it yet and I won't until you do what is far too dangerous for my clan to do," Marethari pointed out. "So it technically hasn't been given to me yet."

"We'd be happy to help," Emma said eagerly.

"Really, Carver, there's no point in trying to turn these things down when Emma's around," Bethany reminded her brother.

"There's never any point in doing anything even remotely sane when Emma's around," Carver groused.

"And yet you keep trying anyway," Bethany marveled, shaking her head.

Carver shrugged. "What can I say? I'm kind of stupid that way."

"You'll get no arguments from me," Emma said sweetly.

"So what do you need us to do?" Bethany asked quickly, hoping to forestall another argument.

"And is it legal?" Aveline inquired.

"Well…it's not illegal," Marethari said evasively.

Aveline sighed. "I suppose that will have to do."

""Are you planning on teaching us this rite of the departed?" Anders asked curiously.

Marethari started laughing. "Teach our sacred rite of the departed to outsider shemlen? That's so not funny it became funny again. No, I'll send my First with you. She'll know what to do."

"Then why can't your First just go do all of this herself?" Isabela wanted to know.

"Because I'm quite fond of her and am hoping that the living corpses and giant poisonous spiders will go after you first," Marethari replied. "I mean…um…maybe you should just go?"

"That would probably be for the best," Bethany agreed as they turned to go find this First of Marethari's.

On their way, they heard quite a bit about someone named Merrill.

"Did you hear that Merrill eats babies?"

"I heard she wants to be a flat-ear."

"I heard she has a human fetish."

"I heard she's ditching us for a freaking mirror."

"It's worse than that, it's that stupid killer mirror!"

"Creators, Merrill sucks and I can't believe she's abandoning us, too!"

"I don't know who this Merrill person is but she sounds like she doesn't really fit in here," Carver noted.

Fenris was standing on the path up the mountain staring at a Dalish woman with short, dark hair who was – for whatever reason – standing on her head.

"What are you doing?" Aveline asked, a bit disturbed.

"I'm standing on my head," the woman responded before fluidly segueing into a cartwheel and straightening up. "We don't get many visitors, here. I don't think I've ever seen a human visitor."

"I don't think I've ever heard an elf address humans as such and not shems," Emma remarked.

"What about me?" Fenris asked her.

Emma looked surprised. "Huh. I think you might be right. Well, that wouldn't be the first strange thing about you, only hot elf in Kirkwall."

"What about me?" the woman inquired.

Emma squinted at her. "Let's see…your accent is kind of annoying me and your eyes are just too damn big and shiny. Sorry."

The woman looked a little disappointed. "I see. Well, you must be the one that the Keeper told me about…a year ago."

"We were busy," Bethany said, embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't ask your name. Unless...it's not rude to ask a human their name, is it?" the woman asked, suddenly worried.

"No, that's the qunari," Emma claimed.

"She's right," Fenris said, surprised. "In a matter of speaking, of course, but you don't need to hear about that."

"It's usually polite to offer your own first," Carver told the woman.

The elf blushed. "Oh, right! My name is Merrill."

The rest of the group quickly introduced themselves (with Emma introducing Loghain).

"So is it true that you're leaving the Dalish for Kirkwall?" Isabela asked her.

Merrill nodded miserably.

"How come?" Varric asked. "Is it the fact that your clan kind of seems to hate you?"

"Oh, it's not that!" Merrill assured him. "They just think I'm trying to repair a killer mirror and don't want anything to do with me and I'm convinced that without this mirror, we're all doomed."

"Where are you planning on staying?" Aveline inquired. "You're not going to be illegally squatting like Fenris here, are you?"

Fenris crossed his arms defiantly. "As long as the building is unoccupied then squatters have rights. I checked."

Aveline frowned but said nothing.

"Oh, no, I plan on staying in the Alienage," Merrill replied. "I'm sure it will be great fun!"

"This girl is a moron," Anders declared.

"Be nice," Emma scolded.

The group fought their way up the mountain pass until they reached a barrier.

"Try not to freak out," Merrill implored before she cut her hand and used blood magic to lower the barrier.

The group then proceeded to do exactly that.


	8. It Must be Wise Since it Makes No Sense

Emma immediately started gagging. "Oh Maker…" That was the good thing about her being a mage; she didn't have to look at blood very often.

"What?" Carver asked, confused. "But…why is there so much blood? Just how deeply did you cut your hand? Are you going to bleed out or something and if so, will the Dalish hold us accountable for your murder?"

"Carver! Try to be sensitive!" Bethany admonished.

"What? Do you want to have to wipe out an entire Dalish tribe in self-defense?" Carver demanded.

"Blood magic," Fenris said contemptuously, his hand twitching for his weapon. "Very, very foolish. I have a strict 'destroy blood mages' policy. I am, with reluctance, tolerating all these mages but a blood mage?"

"You can't just kill her," Aveline objected. "We need her for the Dalish ritual to keep our promise to Flemeth. Besides, it's not like she's breaking any laws."

"Except, of course, the law that says you can't be a blood mage," Isabela pointed out.

"But think of the children!" Fenris protested. "One minute it's all 'I'm just helping us get past this barrier' and 'I only use blood magic when I'm out of mana and it's using blood magic or dying' and the next they're draining a toddler dry for what literally amounts to a party trick."

"If it helps, I'm never invited to any parties," Merrill offered.

Fenris glared at her. "It really doesn't."

"It's mages like her that give everyone else a bad name," Anders complained.

"Says the abomination," Carver muttered.

"The not-quite-abomination who doesn't use blood magic," Anders corrected.

"Still, you're really not one to talk about people giving others bad names," Carver insisted. "Honestly, the templars use people like you as an example of why mages need to be locked up."

"And it is all a bunch of blatant lies," Anders claimed.

"You summoned something," Bethany said suddenly. "I can feel it. Are you insane?"

"No, I'm not," Merrill said, insulted. "I am a blood mage, yes, and I did summon a spirit but I clearly know what I'm doing."

"Everyone who thinks that she knows what she's doing?" Isabela asked. No one raised their hand. "All who think she doesn't?" Every hand flew up but Varric's. "Varric, you didn't vote."

"I have a strict 'no comment' policy on any matter ever vaguely related to mages," Varric explained. "It makes my life a lot easier and this way I know that when things eventually erupt into a bloody civil war after someone blows up the Chantry and someone else orders the Rite of Annulment that I won't be forced to get involved."

"Oh come on," Anders scoffed. "Even I don't think the situation's quite that bad."

"You know, you're actually one of my top contenders for that little act of terrorism," Varric confided. "But if you'd like to prove me wrong then I'd be delighted."

"No one ever believes in me," Merrill complained.

"Maybe it's because you don't deserve to be believed in," Fenris suggested. "You are, after all, a blood mage with a killer mirror fetish."

"Have you actually done anything that would cause them to believe in you?" Aveline inquired.

Merrill thought about it for a minute. "Well, I haven't snapped and killed everyone yet despite their rampant lack of support for me and I haven't gotten possessed. That's something, right?"

"Haven't gotten possessed yet," Fenris amended. "Or at least so you say."

"Look, the spirit helped us, didn't it?" Merrill challenged, annoyed.

"Of course it did!" Anders cried out. "You were using it to open a barrier! Have you been working with it more than that? If so then it's clearly trying to gain your trust so it can possess you easier."

"Not that you'd know anything about that," Carver said snidely.

"Exactly," Anders agreed.

"Um…is that woman okay?" Merrill asked uncertainly, pointing to Emma who was still gagging off to the side.

"She's fine," Bethany assured them. "Emma just can't stand the sight of blood. It nauseates her."

"That and her aversion to pain are probably the only things keeping her from blood magic," Carver theorized.

"To be fair, those are hardly minor things," Bethany defended while not really disagreeing with him.

"Demons are just spirits like valor or justice-" Merrill started to say.

"I AM NOT A DEMON!" Justice roared, shooting lightning at Merrill who had the good sense to duck.

"I didn't say you were," Merrill said appeasingly. "I suppose that's a spirit of justice then? Look, all I meant was that the creatures that inhabit the Fade can't help being what they are anymore than we can."

"Mages use that same excuse," Fenris said contemptuously.

"Well…they kind of can't," Isabela pointed out. "I can't think of many outside of Tevinter who would knowingly choose to be a mage given the amount of abuse they have to put up with."

"Don't pretend you know anything about spirits, Merrill," Anders sniped. "And don't spread your ignorance."

Merrill's eyes widened. "Excuse me? My ignorance? You're the one who clearly went and got himself possessed."

"Justice is a good spirit and he's my friend!" Anders insisted.

Carver snorted. "Your 'friend' who flies off the handle and attacks anyone who calls him a demon and who you can't stop from taking control of you whenever he wants to."

"What do you know?" Anders asked angrily. "You're not a mage."

Carver laughed. "Oh, that's rich. 'Only a mage would understand.' Well Merrill's a mage and she agrees with me."

"And Emma's a mage and she agrees with me!" Anders shot back.

Both men turned to look at Bethany.

"I think I'm going to have to side with Varric," she said, looking faintly panicked.

"I don't need my clan to believe in me and I don't need you to, either," Merrill said, her jaw set. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?"

\----

After re-killing what must have been everyone to have ever been buried on the mountain (and dismembering them, to Merrill's horror, so that they wouldn't have to do so again), they finally reached the altar they were to bring the amulet to.

"Habren na melana sahlin. Emma ir abelas souver'inan isala hamin shenan him dor'felas. In uthenara na revas," Merrill said reverently as she placed the amulet on the altar.

Anders had finally been persuaded to heal Merrill's wound (since she had literally no healing abilities whatsoever but still thought it was a good idea to become a blood mage) so Emma could speak without difficulty again. "Wow. Seriously? That's like three sentences. I can't believe the Keeper made us take the crazy blood mage with the mirror fetish when she could have just written them down or something…"

The sky darkened and bright light flashed over the area. Flemeth emerged from this light. "I could have sworn I asked you to do this a year ago."

"Sorry," Emma said, not sounding at all sorry. "Carver lost your amulet."

"Stop telling people that!" Carver said worriedly. "And I did not."

"I said I would save you if you delivered my amulet and it didn't take me a year to make good on my promise," Flemeth pointed out.

"What's done is done," Aveline said flatly. "What are you going to do, take back your rescue?"

"Don't give her ideas!" Carver cried out.

"A witch!" Fenris cried out, hand twitching once more for his blade.

"I wouldn't bother with that," Flemeth said, almost amused. "I can turn into a dragon and eat you, if nothing else."

Fenris froze, clearly not interested in facing off a dragon.

"Your chains are broken but are you truly free?" Flemeth pressed, peering at him intently.

"You see a great deal," Fenris said awkwardly.

"Sounds like just a bunch of cryptic nonsense to me," Emma declared.

"Friend of yours?" Isabela asked sardonically.

"You say that word so casually as if it can be bought and sold with coin," Flemeth remarked.

Isabela crossed her arms. "You don't know me!" she said defiantly.

"You know, you sounded remarkably like those angsty teenagers I used to know back in Lothering when you said that," Emma remarked.

"You snuck into this country illegally, didn't you?" Aveline asked disapprovingly.

"Technically, I came with your group," Flemeth pointed out. "And while I might not have had to work for a year like the Hawke siblings, neither did their mother or you for that matter."

"You make a strong case," Aveline noted.

"Don't trust her!" Anders cried out. "I've heard the stories about her! She's an abomination!"

"Do I even need to point out the irony in that statement?" Flemeth wondered aloud.

Anders' eyes flashed blue. "I AM NOT A-"

"Demon?" Flemeth cut him off, looking bored. "Yes you are. You're a demon of vengeance and you're so twisted you can't even realize how far you've fallen. I could almost pity you if you weren't so self-righteous and, frankly, obnoxious. You, dwarf, are smart to keep your mouth shut."

"What about me?" Merrill asked eagerly.

"No, I suppose that I should just be thankful that you remembered at all," Flemeth remarked, ignoring her. "Even if I did likely miss the birth of Morrigan's baby and she may have even fled into the Eluvian by now."

"…It was only a year," Bethany pointed out, confused.

"Yes, well your Grey Warden mage only joined the Grey Wardens a year after the Blight ended and stayed with them for nearly three years," Flemeth pointed out.

"But…the Blight's been over for maybe a month," Carver protested.

"Don't try to figure anything out when mages are involved," Varric advised. "It will just give you a headache."

"A-an Eluvian?" Merrill asked nervously. "Does this mean you know how to make one work?"

"I do," Flemeth agreed, nodding.

Merrill swallowed as she gathered her courage. "Could you teach me how to do that?"

"I could," Flemeth said idly, watching Merrill light up. "But I won't."

Merrill was devastated. "Why not?"

"Because I do not run a charity and you do not interest me," Flemeth said bluntly. "The Dalish never have. Emma Hawke, however, does."

"What a surprise," Carver muttered bitterly.

"She's going to be involved in a lot of interesting things although for all the control she has over them, she really might as well have not come to Kirkwall," Flemeth revealed. "Seriously, almost every single other person you meet will have more of an impact than she will. Still, she's the most important person to ever live, or so I'm told. I can't quite work that one out but then, I'm old."

"The most important person that ever lived, huh?" Emma repeated happily. "I definitely like the sound of that."

"You would," Varric said fondly.

"If for all the difference she makes she might as well not have shown up then she can hardly be even remotely important, let alone all that important," Carver protested.

"Belittling your sister's future accomplishments just because you hate her for being a mage is an ugly, ugly thing," Anders said ruefully.

"One last word of advice before I go," Flemeth told them. She cleared her throat. "We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment...and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly."

"What if you can't?" Bethany asked, disturbed. "Are you suggesting that my sister jump off a cliff? Because let me tell you, she's not particularly good with figurative language."

"I'm not sure that I fear any 'inevitable plummet into the abyss'," Isabela spoke up. "Or that I, or anyone, even know what this is."

"I bet she's talking about freeing the mages," Fenris said ominously.

"If that's the case then I think that Emma should definitely not hesitate and lead the mages in a revolution," Anders said brightly.

Carver rolled his eyes. "Of course you do. Look, this 'advice' is so painfully unhelpful that it can't possibly be understood until after it already comes to pass and therefore there is really no reason to tell us beforehand since it won't do a damn bit of good."

"Fine, be ungrateful then," Flemeth sniffed. "I don't care. I was just trying to be helpful." She finally deigned to look at Merrill. "As for you child, step carefully. No path is more dark than when your eyes are shut."

"You're so wise!" Merrill gushed.

"She's telling you that you're blind to what you're doing and thus this will probably end in disaster," Fenris said flatly.

"And it's still vague cryptic nonsense," Carver added.

"I can see where I'm not appreciated," Flemeth said sorrowfully before she turned back into a dragon and flew off.

"That was weird," Varric remarked.

"Oh, now he can talk…" Carver muttered.

"Make fun all you like, Junior, but I'm planning on going through life without getting cursed," Varric declared. "Which is really no mean feat in Kirkwall."

\----

"Ma serannas, child. Your debt is paid in full," Marethari told them when they returned to the camp.

"Our debt was never to you!" Carver protested. "Flemeth didn't need us to take her to the altar and she certainly didn't have anything important to say. And why are you even thanking us when you basically forced us to do it? I officially hate the Dalish."

"Racist," one of the elves nearby them accused. "You just hate us because we're elven!"

"No, weren't you listening?" Carver demanded. "It's because of how obnoxious your Keeper is."

"Insulting the Keeper is fighting words," the elf warned.

"Emma, your brother's a bit of a tit," Aveline announced.

Carver glared at her. "Oh, don't even start with me."

"Da'len, it isn't too late to change your mind," Marethari said gently to Merrill, completely ignoring Carver.

Merrill crossed her arms suspiciously. "You guys will let me keep trying to fix the Eluvian here?"

Marethari snorted. "Absolutely not! Attempting to fix that mirror will only bring death and destruction upon us all! You know that the demon that's been helping you only wants to fix the mirror so that it can escape into this world and kill us all?"

"I'm not listening! I'm smarter than you! I'll save us all!" Merrill shouted, her fingers in her ears.

Marethari sighed. "Young people never listen…If this trend continues and I get possessed in order to save her from her own stupidity, make sure the clan doesn't kill her in vengeance for my death, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," Emma said, not really listening.

"I'm ready," Merrill informed them solemnly. "Let's depart."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Emma objected. "What's all this 'we' business? Who said you're coming with us?"

Merrill looked startled. "I…but I'm going to Kirkwall and you're going back there so why not travel with each other?"

"You're a blood mage," Emma said pointedly. "And I hate blood mages almost as much as I hate templars! I hate you! You're a horrible, terrible person!"

Anders nodded his agreement.

"For once, I'm with the mages," Fenris said, sounding a little sick.

"Oh, leave her alone," Isabela told them. "She's adorable."

"An 'adorable' blood mage will get possessed by a demon and brutally murder you just as easily as an ugly one," Anders pointed out.

"I, for one, am uncomfortable with blood magic but am willing to overlook it given how you're clearly a very well-meaning person," Carver announced. "Bust just the same…are you sure that you really want to tag along with a group of people that have so many members openly dislike you?"

Merrill shrugged. "I have no choice. I don't really know anyone at all in town. I haven't even found a place to stay in the Alienage yet."

Carver shuddered as he thought of what might befall Merrill when she first got to Kirkwall. "Tell you what, how about I help you?"

Emma put her hands on her hips. "You are not developing a thing for her! Geez, and you guys say that I have bad taste in men!"

"You kind of do," Bethany pointed out.

"Bethany! Whose side are you even on?" Emma complained.

"Sorry, Emma," Bethany apologized.

"Just…follow along with us and though they'll probably harass you the entire way down about what a terrible person your blood magic makes you, there's a solid chance that they won't decide to kill you for it," Carver advised. "I mean, it's not ideal but…"

Merrill smiled up at him. "I'll take what I can get. I'm glad that at least someone is a little welcoming. Thank you, Carver."


	9. The Horribly Depressing Alienage

"Is this…is this where the elves live?" Merrill couldn't believe it.

"Judging by all the elves walking around looking like they hate their lives and the fact that we're the only humans – and Varric – here, I'd say yes," Emma said, wrinkling her nose. "Now I can see why nobody would ever come here ever if they had any choice at all. Ever. I mean, Uncle Gamlen told us that we could have it worse but I didn't believe him and now I think I owe him an apology for that."

"Emma!" Bethany said, scandalized.

"What?" Emma asked blankly. "Oh, right. But I'm sure that since you're an elf you'll get along marvelously here."

Bethany sighed. "Well, I tried."

"It's not so bad," Fenris declared, barely glancing around. "You should have seen some of the conditions of the slaves in Tevinter."

"Tevinter abuse this, Tevinter abuse that," Anders said mockingly. "Is that really all you talk about?"

"I'm surprised that you could shut up about mages long enough to notice," Fenris sniped back.

"With the fact that neither of them will shut up about mages for five seconds, I'm surprised they don't get along better," Varric said, shaking his head.

"I'm thinking of shipping those two," Isabela confided.

"Oh?" Varric drew back, surprised. "I thought you were planning on trying to seduce Fenris?"

"Try?" Isabela scoffed. "It's only a matter of time, trust me. And I am. But that doesn't mean a girl can't dream…"

"Would you be interested in a job as a paid consultant?" Varric inquired. "I'm just about to start a new book."

"Is it about a sexy apostate mage revolutionary and a bitter ex-Tevinter slave?" Isabela asked eagerly.

Varric nodded. "I notice you didn't say anything about the abomination thing."

"Who wants to read about that?" Isabela asked rhetorically. "Justice is such a prig."

"That's why I'm cutting him out. And, you know, so that the templars don't jump to conclusions," Varric explained.

"I'll do it," Isabela decided.

"Not for nothing, Fenris, but don't you live in a freaking mansion?" Carver asked him.

"Yes, I do," Fenris confirmed with a sharp nod. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe you should try living here before you decide that it isn't so bad," Carver hinted.

"I agree with Carver," Aveline said, sounding as if the words pained her. "I do not approve of illegal squatting."

"And yet you're helping to cover it up," Emma noted.

"Yeah, you're kind of hypocritical, Aveline," Anders agreed.

"Oh, now you know the word," Fenris grumbled.

"I've heard that Alienages are worse in other parts of Thedas," Bethany said, trying to be positive. "But I don't see how that's possible unless it's on fire. Oh, I mean…"

"Funny you should mention that," Isabela told her. "As a pirate captain, I've had plenty of experience with Alienages of different nations. The Alienage in Orlais has walls so high that you can't even see the sun and it's far smaller than the one in Ferelden despite the presence of many, many more elves."

"What about the one in Ferelden?" Merrill wanted to know. "I lived in Ferelden for many years, after all."

"It's not so bad," Isabela replied. "Well, not now at any rate. Before you had the Arl's son abducting and raping whichever elven 'whore' caught his eye. He even abducted an entire wedding party in broad daylight – well, the female half of it – and ended up being killed by one of his would-be victims. Then Howe took over, punished the elves for killing the noble rapist, riots erupted, and the Alienage was closed off. Unfortunately, the plague broke out among the Alienage and no one knew if refugees from Ostagar brought it or the slaving Tevinter magisters that Howe allowed to sell elves in order to fund the civil war they insisted on carrying on during a Blight."

"I…" Merrill was at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Isabela quickly added, "But I've heard it's very nice now, really. Their leader is even a part of the King's council and everything."

"See?" Fenris asked, his tone triumphant. "Tevinter mages ruin everything."

"I've never seen so many people in one place before," Merrill said, looking slightly dizzy. "It seems so…lonely."

"Really?" Emma asked skeptically. "Because when I see overcrowdedness I don't think 'lonely', I think 'no privacy and poor sanitation.'"

"Come on," Carver said, gesturing for Merrill to follow him. "I'll help you settle in."

Emma watched him go in disgust. "I cannot believe that my brother has a thing for a blood mage! It's like he has no taste in women!" she exclaimed without the slightest hint of irony in her voice.

"I hear that," Anders agreed. "My templar senses are tingling."

"Is that because you happen to see a templar standing not twenty feet behind us?" Varric inquired.

"Oh, is there?" Anders asked, looking surprised. "Well that explains that, then."

"How you've managed to go without getting caught so long astounds me," Aveline said, shaking her head.

"He's actually been caught six times," Fenris corrected her. "And no, it is not weird that I know that."

"Let's go talk to him," Emma suggested.

"I'd rather just kill him," Anders grumbled.

"Yes, but it would be rude without talking to him first, don't you think?" Emma asked rhetorically. "Besides, the templars here aren't very observant."

"I – and my pocketbook – have noticed," Varric said, rolling his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Emma. Why are you here?" Emma asked bluntly, approaching the templar who was speaking with a distraught elven woman.

"My son is a mage-" the woman began.

"We should help her," Bethany said loudly. "That could be mother."

Emma waited for Carver to say something about how that would only happen if their mother had mage children and she didn't but he was still inside Merrill's new shack.

"And I just turned him into the templars so he ran away," the woman wailed.

"Yeah, if mother were a bitch," Emma agreed, glaring at the woman.

"No wonder he ran away," Anders practically growled. "You, madam, are a monster."

"She is not," the templar snapped. "She is a concerned mother just trying to do the right thing…a decade after finding out her son was a mage. Still, better late than never and the templars will not show mercy on him unless he turns himself in. We cannot tolerate apostates, after all."

"Not without paying ludicrous sums of money," Varric muttered.

"Mercy? What mercy? Maybe he won't be tortured before he's made Tranquil?" Anders cried out.

"You don't understand!" the woman said burst out. "My Feynriel's connection to the Fade gives him nightmares, dreams of demons! I would rather lose him to the Circle than to himself."

"That's not so bad, is it?" Bethany asked softly.

"I would rather be eaten by demons," Emma said flatly.

"I wouldn't," Isabela said, shuddering. "That's got to be a horrid way to go. Maybe if it were a desire demon. But then, I'm not a mage so being lost to the Circle isn't a real threat for me."

"Let me get this straight," Anders said harshly. "Your son has been having bad dreams so you want him imprisoned for the rest of his life and at risk of being tortured or abused at any point in his life by power-hungry templars with no checks on their power and at risk of being stripped of all emotion and free will?"

The woman looked taken aback. "When you put it like that, you make me sound like a bad mother."

"I think you're a horrible elven being," Anders declared. "And I'm trying to decide if I feel you deserve to live."

"Anders!" Aveline cried out. "Attempting to talk someone into suicide or threatening their life unprovoked is a crime."

"Yeah, well so is being an apostate and an abomination!" Anders countered.

The templar held out his hand expectantly to Varric.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got your money, Thrask," Varric said, sighing and handing over a few coins.

"We'll find your son," Emma promised. "And then we're going to send him off to live with the Dalish where he won't be hated and looked down upon for something he can't help!"

"But my son is human," the woman pointed out.

Emma drew back, horrified. "You have Dalish tattoos so, judging by the way that guy bit my head off when I asked about them, you must have been one of them at some point and you had a child with a human? It's almost like you want your species to go extinct!"

"Hey, it's not like my one human child instead of an elven one is going to cause our species to go extinct!" the woman protested, highly offended.

"Yeah, that's what every other elf off having human children is telling themselves while you all contribute to the declining population," Emma said, shaking her head.

Bethany looked like she wanted to say something but wasn't quite sure what. "Carver would know what to do."

\----

"Let's stop in here," Fenris said suddenly, drawing to a halt in front of the Chantry.

"I thought you didn't believe in the Maker," Emma said, surprised.

"I don't but I killed a lot of mercenaries and I saw a sign on the notice board awhile back saying that I could get paid for that," Fenris explained.

"Really?" Emma asked. "Isn't it great when people pay you to do things you were planning on doing anyway? It's why I make sure to always charge the mages collective for killing templars and aiding escaped mages."

Fenris shot her a look. "While it should be noted that I do not approve of any of that, if you're really on their side then why in the world are you charging them when they could be using that money to advance your cause?"

"Because I don't want to live with Uncle Gamlen forever and so my need is great," Emma said as if it were obvious. "I'm sure my fellow mages understand."

"All mages can see is their own suffering," Fenris said pessimistically.

"That's fine then because I'm one of them," Emma said dismissively. "Now, let's go into the sacred building to discuss the fact that you just committed murder for money."

"When you put it that way, I'm especially glad that I'm not one of you," Fenris said, shaking his head, as he followed her into the Chantry.

"A mage?" Emma asked, completely uncaring that she was now in one of the enemy's strongholds.

"No, an Andrastian," Fenris said, rolling his eyes. "If I were a mage I'd be filled with too much self-loathing to breathe. Or I'd be a magister in which case I should be filled with more but probably wouldn't be."

"Not so loud, will you," Emma chastised, shooting paranoid glances around her.

"That's him," Fenris said, pointing to a very pretty armored man sulking right next to the Grand Cleric.

"Hello," the Grand Cleric greeted them kindly. "I'm Elthina. I don't think I've seen you here before."

"I'm Emma Hawke and this is Fenris," Emma introduced.

"It's so nice to meet you both," Elthina told them, smiling. "And it's always nice to see humans and elves getting along as equals. Maker's blessings upon you both."

"Wow, you seem like a really wonderful person," Emma said, taken aback. "I had sort of thought you would be horrible because you work with the Chantry to oppress mages."

"I only want the best for everyone, mages included," Elthina explained. "The situation may not be idea but remember that an untrained mage is just as much of a danger to himself as he is to others. He may get possessed without having an idea of what is going on or how to defend himself or he might cast an accidental spell that hurts or even kills himself. And then there's the lamentable fear and prejudice many of the common people have that may lead to them hurting or killing the mage in question."

"You sound so very reasonable," Emma marveled, shaking her head. "I can almost concede that the Chantry isn't just oppressing mages because they have no soul."

"I killed those mercenaries you wanted dead," Fenris said bluntly, turning towards the man.

"Sebastian," Elthina scolded. "I thought I told you that revenge was not the answer."

"I know," Sebastian said, looking vaguely guilty. "And I thought about that but then I remembered that the Chant of Light teaches that the reason that revenge is so dangerous is because it will eat away at you and consume you so that you are left bitter and unable to focus on anything else. I decided the best way to avoid that was to hurry up and seek vengeance before that happened to me."

"I…think you might have missed the point of that slightly," Elthina said slowly, sighing.

"Well now that that's over, can I be a brother again?" Sebastian asked eagerly.

"Sebastian, I first heard of your parents' and brothers' deaths when you stormed up to me and announced that you were leaving the Chantry so that you could go seek bloody vengeance in peace," Elthina pointedly reminded him.

"I sort of thought you would disapprove and that it wasn't very brother-like," Sebastian exclaimed. "So it was either be a hypocrite and disgrace everything the Chantry stood for or stop being a brother."

"Leaving the Chantry because you want to do all of that after you swear vows does not make you any less of a hypocrite," Fenris said, rolling his eyes. "Particularly since you apparently want to go right back once you're done."

"You should listen to him," Emma said, trying to be supportive. "He knows all about hypocrisy."

"You're not helping," Fenris ground out.

"Yes I am," Emma disagreed.

"I am not a hypocrite!" Sebastian insisted. "I just had some secular business to attend to and so I left the Chantry in order to take care of it. Now that it's settled, I want to be a brother again."

"Sebastian, the Chantry is not just some club you can join or leave from week to week," Elthina said tiredly. "It is a lifelong commitment and the fact that you were so quick to forget your vows the minute you wanted to do something that we could not abide by makes me seriously question your commitment."

"Come on," Sebastian protested. "What were the odds that someone would pull a Howe and I'd need to avenge their deaths? I mean, really?"

"This time it was the brutal murder of your entire family, what will it be next time? Who rules Starkhaven?" Elthina pressed.

"It certainly won't be me," Sebastian announced. "I took vows. Well…what do you guys think?"

"I don't care," Fenris said flatly.

"Normally neither would I but if I had the choice between being in the Chantry or ruling someplace, I would definitely pick ruling something," Emma replied. "In fact, if the choice was between being in the Chantry and virtually anything else, I'd generally go with 'virtually anything else.'"

"Why don't you people want me to be happy?" Sebastian complained.

"He seems a little bipolar," Emma noted.

Elthina sighed. "He's always been this way. He always has unshakable convictions and throws himself into what he cares about but he's also impulsive. I just don't think he's ready to retake the oath. Not until the matter of Starkhaven is settled."

"I don't care about Starkhaven," Sebastian said dismissively. "They can all go die for all I care."

"You don't mean that," Elthina said gently.

"Well, no," Sebastian admitted. "But it certainly sounds like it will help my cause. I'll prove you wrong yet!"

"Am I getting paid?" Fenris demanded.

"What?" Sebastian started. "Oh, absolutely. Here's what I promised plus a little extra for getting it done in a timely manner. See, your Grace? I didn't even get involved personally."

"I don't know where you got the impression that it was morally superior to hire someone to kill people rather than doing it yourself," Elthina said ruefully, shaking her head. "But it's just not true."

"Let me know if you have anyone else you need dead," Fenris told him.

Sebastian nodded. "Absolutely. In fact, while I don't know how long it will take me to find out what swine ordered my family's death, once I do I'm going to need people to help me kill them. Would you be interested?"

Fenris nodded. "If I'm still in Kirkwall, certainly."

Elthina groaned. "Sebastian, you just said that you wanted to retake your vows!"

"But I do," Sebastian said, confused. "Why, is there a problem or something?"


	10. The Loathsome Sister Petrice

The group was just getting back form attempting to track down Feynriel (apparently he was being sold or something. That should probably be looked into at some point) when they saw a woman in Chantry robes trying not to look too out of place as she was loudly requesting some help. In Lowtown. At night.

"It looks like those ladies of the night are getting creative," Isabela said approvingly. "Varric, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We should throw this in the book?" Varric guessed.

Isabela grinned. "Absolutely. We can have a whole little subplot and, if that's successful, a spin-off! Only we should make her really a member of the Chantry and finds herself torn between the pleasures of the flesh and a higher calling. She can donate the money she earns to orphans or something."

"You are an absolute goldmine of ideas," Varric complimented her, taking out some paper and scribbling furiously on it.

"So…you need some help, huh?" one of the most clearly sleazy and up-to-no-good thugs that they'd ever seen asked with a smirk as he approached the woman.

"Yes, if you know the underground well then I would be willing to pay you highly for your efforts," the woman said seriously.

"How about we step into this dark alley where nobody can hear you scream while you show me that money?" the man suggested.

"I see no reason not to do just that," the woman agreed and led him into one such alley.

"And so natural selection strikes again," Emma said, shaking her head in disbelief of this woman's blatant idiocy.

"Emma! We can't just leave her there," Bethany protested. "We have to help her."

"But she is clearly too stupid to live," Emma argued. "And this really isn't any of our business."

"I disagree," Aveline said flatly. "I am the captain of the guards and there is someone who my guards are not protecting. Therefore this is absolutely my business."

"Well have fun with that," Emma said disinterestedly. "In the meantime, I'm going to head over to the Hanged Man and-"

"We have to help her!" Merrill objected. "She might get really hurt."

"Yes, but she's not a victim so much as an absolute moron," Emma insisted.

"And she's a member of the Chantry so she clearly deserves whatever happens to her," Anders agreed.

"Emma, come on. She could be assaulted before she's murdered," Carver pointed out.

Emma winced. "Well…I don't condone that so I guess we can go save her. Even if she doesn't deserve it."

"Mages are truly horrible people," Fenris said, shaking his head in disgust.

"Does the fact that half of the mages in this group were in favor of helping her mean nothing?" Bethany demanded.

"Not in the slightest," Fenris replied. "I always judge all mages by the worst representatives I can find. Why?"

They followed the pair into the dark alley where they came across a good dozen or so thugs who had not yet touched the Chantry woman but who immediately came after their group. Unskilled warriors were never much of a problem, however, and so they were soon dealt with.

"Thanks for that," the Chantry woman said when they were finished. "I'm afraid I don't know much about Lowtown."

"You don't have to to realize that coming here at night and then going into a dark alley where, and I quote, 'no one can hear you scream' is a stupid idea," Emma said unsympathetically.

"But I had to do that so that I could find someone with both amazing skill and integrity. Someone who might leap to the rescue of a stranger," the woman explained.

Carver rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously telling me that you set yourself up to probably be killed just so that might walk by and save you? Did you even know we were walking by? And if so, how did you know we'd help you? Were you just putting your life on the line for a hope?"

"The Maker will protect me," the woman said stubbornly. "I am Sister Petrice. Besides, I wasn't alone." She jerked her head to the side and indicated a lone templar guarding her.

"That wouldn't have saved you from that many of them," Varric said flatly. "You Chantry types never have any common sense, do you?"

"I find myself in need of strong help. I have a charge who needs safe passage from the city," Petrice explained.

"Is it a mage?" Fenris demanded angrily. "Because mages are the only ones I can think of who might need to escape the city and as a Chantry Sister you should really know better!"

"It's…sort of…complicated," Petrice told him.

"I think that this is a worthwhile venture and we should help out where we can," Anders, predictably, was in favor of aiding her cause now that it might involve mages.

"Besides," Petrice said snootily, "you're from Lowtown which must mean that you don't have much money and would do literally anything for coin."

"Says the woman dressing up as a Chantry Sister to better attract customers," Isabela scoffed.

"I'm pretty sure she's legitimate," Varric told her.

Isabela shrugged. "You believe what you want to believe and I'll do the same."

"Meet me at my safe house," Petrice instructed, handing them a scrap with the address of said safe house on it. "I'll explain there." With that, she turned and began to walk away.

"Why can't we just go there now?" Merrill asked, confused.

"That's actually a good idea," Emma said, surprised. "I guess even idiot blood mages dead-set on bringing a demon into this world to kill us all can have good ideas sometime."

"Be nice, Emma," Carver said tiredly.

"I am," she claimed. "Let's follow her there right now. This way we can make sure we don't get lost, too, and stop her from getting herself killed on the way home."

\----

Petrice and her templar protector had literally just closed the door to their slum safe house when Emma decided to forgo knocking in favor of just outright barging in.

The templar was immediately on his guard and held up his sword as if preparing to attack her.

"I know you're a templar and everything but we did meet just ten minutes ago," Emma reminded him.

"Yes, and while normally the fact that you're all alone like this and a templar would mean that we were probably going to kill you, there is a mage's fate at stake here and so I'm sure we can curb our bloodthirsty impulses long enough to hear the details," Anders assured them. "No promises afterwards, however."

"And this is yet another reason that mages are not to be trusted," Fenris announced.

"I could probably get better help through other methods," Petrice began, "but I need someone not important enough to attract attention to do this."

"You sure have a strange way of asking for help," Carver bristled.

"I'm not really asking so much as informing," Petrice countered. "You will help him. Your conscience will not let you do otherwise."

"My conscience is actually rather flexible," Emma countered coolly. "And I don't like being forced to do anything."

"See for yourself," Petrice said, clapping her hands.

Immediately, a giant ogre-like creature who was completely bound, had his horns removed, and his mouth stitched shut lumbered over to them.

"As you can see, this is a somewhat…delicate issue," Petrice said, proving that she had a remarkable gift for understatement. "Would even a templar have bound a mage so cruelly and completely?"

"Are you looking for an honest answer here?" Anders asked rhetorically.

"Hey, what do you mean 'even a templar'?" Petrice's own templar guard demanded.

"Nothing, don't worry about it, I'm just trying to manipulate them," Petrice assured him. "Now where were we?"

"At the part where you were admitting you were trying to manipulate us, I think," Varric reminded her.

Petrice laughed, loudly and falsely. "I don't know what you mean."

"I had always suspected that being in the Chantry made you stupid," Anders declared triumphantly. "Although perhaps it's just that the Chantry attracts the stupid. It could really go either way."

"He's a survivor of infighting between them and their Tal-Vashoth outcasts," Petrice explained. "I call him 'Ketojin', a bridge between worlds."

"I don't know about you but if I came to a different place and I were unable to introduce myself – or even if I was – then I would take offence if somebody just up and decided to give me a new name," Merrill told her.

"I agree," Bethany said, nodding. "It's kind of pretentious and condescending."

"Well it's not like we can ask him his name, now can we?" Petrice asked rhetorically.

"He is Saarebas," Fenris informed them.

"Okay, how do you even know that?" Isabela demanded. "It's kind of hot that you do, though."

"He is a qunari mage and thus Saarebas," Fenris explained.

"That's not his name then, it's his title," Aveline pointed out.

"Qunari don't have names as such," Fenris informed them. "They are always referred to by their occupation – in his case, as a mage – and any individual 'name' as we would think of them are solely for breeding purposes."

"See! It's inhuman!" Petrice cried out, seizing on this foreign concept with a vengeance.

"Well qunari are not human so it stands to reason," Fenris said coolly. "Neither am I, for that matter."

"You don't seem to like the qunari very much," Carver noted. "Why do you want to help one so badly?"

"And it wouldn't even be helping them as this Saarebas wouldn't want to escape," Fenris pointed out.

"I may not like or even really understand the Qun but that doesn't mean that I have to just stand back and allow someone who I'm sure wants no part of that monstrous Qun either to suffer," Petrice declared grandly. "Look, just take him outside of the city and let him go and we'll be good."

"I don't want to," Emma said, crossing her arms.

"That's too bad because you have no choice," Petrice said contemptuously.

"I don't see how you figure that," Carver replied. "After all, we don't HAVE to leave the city and even if you command this…Saarebas to follow us and he does it would only put him in danger."

Petrice looked pointedly at Anders.

"Of course we must save this poor mage from the horrible oppression that the qunari subject them to!" Anders cried out.

"Well, I suppose that if he wants to go back after we lead him out he should at least have some way of doing so," Merrill reasoned. "And it will be much safer than Lowtown."

Carver sighed, defeated. "I see your point. Fenris, try not to accidentally murder him on our way, will you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Fenris said coldly. "I would never cowardly strike down a proud qunari warrior."

"Do you ever get the feeling he'd be a lot happier if he'd been born a qunari?" Bethany wondered.

\----

It had been easy enough to get outside the city. There was one minor incident with a mob that had been stupid enough to attack them but the Saarebas had quickly dealt with them before anyone else had a chance to do anything. They walked outside…and literally right into a camped group of qunari. They'd been walking so long that the sun had apparently risen and was high in the sky by the time they made it outside.

"You will hold, basra vashedan. I am Arvaarad, and I claim possession of Saarebas at your heel," one of them declared.

"My 'I am being insulted in a language I do not understand' senses are tingling," Emma complained.

"Arvaarad is 'One Who Holds Back Evil' and is in charge of keeping track of their mages and hunting them down when necessary," Fenris translated.

"And that other part?" Emma pressed.

"Basra means 'thing'," Fenris translated reluctantly. "It's how anyone who isn't a follower of the Qun is referred to. "Vashedan means 'trash.'"

"So he's demanding that I do something for him while also calling me foreign trash?" Emma asked, her eye twitching. "Your people have no diplomacy, do they?"

"Diplomacy is for the weak," Arvaarad said derisively. "His karataam were killed by Tal-Vashoth but their disposal leads only here, to Saarebas and you."

"I knew that I hated Petrice for a reason," Anders growled. "I bet she didn't even want to help Saarebas."

"A Saarebas may not survive without his Arvaarad," Arvaarad told them. "I don't know how you came to hold his leash but you are no Arvaarad. Turn him over so that I may kill him and this crime may be cleansed."

"You can't just find him a new Arvaarad?" Bethany inquired hopefully.

"That is not the way of the Qun," Arvaarad said flatly. "Do not presume to question it."

"What if he doesn't want to go back?" Anders challenged.

"Saarebas, show that your will is still bound to the Qun," Arvaarad ordered.

Immediately, Saarebas fell to his knees.

"I trust that I made my point," Arvaarad said smugly.

Emma shrugged. "Well, it is his choice, I guess."

"Emma!" Carver was scandalized. "They'll kill him!"

"It's his choice," Emma countered. "The only way to avoid these qunari killing him is to kill them ourselves and then Saarebas will just go find more qunari to kill him. And I didn't even want to do this anyway."

"That is a good point," Carver reluctantly admitted.

"Excellent," the Arvaarad said, not sounding as if this were particularly excellent.

Saarebas climbed to his feet and went over to the Arvaarad.

"Well…if you're sure then we can do this here," Arvaarad agreed. "You are very lucky, basra. He does you great honor." He waved his arms and the stitches that had been covering Saarebas' mouth were gone.

"Okay, that is most definitely magic," Fenris said, appalled. "Is there no one we can trust not to secretly be a mage?"

"I'm not even sure if this is legal or not," Aveline complained.

"You should follow the Qun," Saarebas told them seriously.

Arvaarad promptly killed him.

"So…are we done then?" Emma asked curiously.

"Not quite yet," Arvaarad said grimly. "You see, you have heard words spoken from a Saarebas when you are not an Arvaarad. As such, you must die."

"…Come again?" Varric requested.

"Who knows what kind of demons could have been in those words?" Arvaarad asked calmly.

"He told us to follow the Qun which, presumably, you want for us as well," Carver pointed out. "How in the world do you expect there to be a hidden message in there?"

"Do not judge us," Arvaarad snapped.

"Since you're trying to kill us over this, I think we have the right," Carver countered. "And if you were planning on killing us for the high crime of hearing a Saarebas speak then why in the world did you let him speak to us in the first place?"

"It's a great honor!" Arvaarad insisted.

"Which we would have turned down," Carver replied. "This is so beyond the scope of anything reasonable or sane that there are no words."

"I do not have to listen to this!" Arvaarad shouted and attacked them. A fatal mistake.

"You're still alive," Petrice said, amazed, as she stepped out of the shadow. "I hadn't expected that. I suppose this means I should pay you."

"Yes, you should," Emma said, practically snatching the sovereigns out of Petrice's hand. "Now why in the world did you just set us up?"

"I was actually trying to start a war to get the qunari kicked out of Kirkwall," Petrice explained. "Whether anything happened to you was completely irrelevant to me."

"I seriously hate you," Emma complained. "One day, I will kill you and it will be amazing."

"Whatever you say, low-life," Petrice sniffed before turning and walking away.

"Why aren't we killing her now?" Fenris demanded.

"I don't know," Carver admitted. "But I guess we're not."

"Hey!" Sebastian cried out suddenly as he raced up to them.

Everyone groaned.

"You forgot to tell me that we were coming here today," Sebastian informed them. "Fortunately, I managed to work it out all on my own."

"Did it ever occur to you that we didn't tell you because we don't want you here?" Anders inquired.

Sebastian blinked and drew back. "As a matter of fact, it didn't. Why wouldn't you want me here?"

"Because you are really annoying," Aveline said bluntly.

"And you're so indecisive," Bethany added.

"And you keep telling me all about your grand exploits from the past but you're never willing to do anything now," Isabela complained.

"Can't you just go away?" Emma practically begged.

Sebastian shook his head. "Sorry, no can do. You killed some bandits for me once so now you're stuck with me forever."

"I think I've finally found a non-mage-related reason to hate Fenris," Anders said brightly.


	11. The Will

After finally shaking Sebastian for the day and making plans to meet up with everybody else the next day once he had left, the three Hawke siblings returned to their home for the evening and walked into an argument already well in progress.

"You don't even care, do you?" Leandra accused. "My children have been in servitude for a year to cover your debts and they should be nobility!"

Gamlen snorted. "Please. Your daughters are mages and they make no secret of this fact. They'll never be nobility."

"No one seems to have noticed anything odd about them!" Leandra insisted. "And that's not the point. The point is that you've made a mess of things and have destroyed our family!"

"Excuse me?" Gamlen asked coldly. "I destroyed our family? I wasn't the one who turned my back no the Comte de Launcet and ran off with a Ferelden apostate. Tell the truth, sister: if it hadn't been for that damn Blight, would you have ever come back here? You can't walk away for twenty-five years and start judging me for what I've done with the inheritance you abandoned."

"I can when you lost everything and couldn't even get five refugees into the city without slave labor being involved," Leandra argued. "I want to see the will. I need to see that our parents really left everything to you and you had a legal right to destroy all of it."

"Of course they left everything to me!" Gamlen insisted, his voice suddenly much higher. "After all, what good would leaving it to you do? You weren't coming back anytime soon."

"You're lying, aren't you?" Bethany demanded suddenly.

Carver and Emma stared at her in surprise.

"How dare you-" Gamlen started to say.

"Where's the will? I want to see it, too," Bethany announced.

"Well you can't," Gamlen said shortly. "I left it in the old estate and we don't live there anymore. We can't even go there without trespassing and that's really the last thing any of us need."

"Wait," Carver said incredulously. "You just left it there?"

"Yeah, why not?" Gamlen asked defensively. "I mean, I know what it says and it's all ancient history anyway. Everything was left to me and I lost it all. Seeing a will won't help anyone. Now everybody just shut up and leave me alone!"

The siblings exchanged glances and then went over into the other room for a bit of privacy.

"Gamlen is clearly lying," Bethany declared. "I bet you anything that mother was left something in the will and Gamlen figured she wasn't coming back so he 'invested' it."

"You're strangely aggressive about this, Bethany," Emma remarked. "Normally you're much more inclined to believe the good in people."

"I know and I don't like thinking ill of Uncle Gamlen considering that he took us in but…he owes a lot of money to a lot of people and he never expected to see mother again," Bethany said earnestly. "If it weren't for the Blight, mother never would have even known about it. And Uncle Gamlen's hardly the most upstanding guy around."

"Hey!" Carver protested. "Just yesterday you said that I kind of resemble him."

"You do," Emma said, nodding. "Why, what's the problem?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Bethany hastened to inform him. "Of course I didn't."

"Well I do," Emma informed them. "I bet you don't even blame Uncle Gamlen for this."

"Well…why should I?" Carver asked abruptly. "I understand Gamlen, I do. He had an older sister who could do no wrong in the eyes of their parents and even when she ran away with an apostate she was still the favorite. Nothing he ever did was good enough and she didn't even care about what she left behind. Why should he keep it for her?"

"You realize this is our mother you're talking about, right?" Emma asked him rhetorically.

"What about the other side of the story?" Bethany asked pleadingly. "What about mother who just wanted to be free to live with the man that she loved, who was forced to abandon her home and her life in order to do that? Don't you think she deserves more than to hear that her parents died hating her? Carver, she told me that she wishes she died back in Ferelden! It's like being back here has tainted every good memory she has! We have to do something for her."

"I do think that that is being a little dramatic," Emma admitted. "I mean, it's only been a year and we've got that big expedition coming up. The least she could do is wait until we strike out with that before sinking into depression. Then again, she spends all day with Uncle Gamlen and that's driven many a man to worse."

"We should do something? Like what?" Carver challenged. "Do you honestly think we can just swoop in there, find the will, and everything will be able to go back to the way it once was? Even if this expedition pays off and we all become fabulously wealthy, we can never go back. You two can't legally become nobles and there's no future for me as an Amell."

"Carver, what in the world are you talking about?" Emma demanded. "How is there no future for you as an Amell? If we do manage to pull everything off – which I have no doubt we will since we always do – then how can you not fit in as a noble? Like you said, you're not even a mage. Just sit around and be incredibly wealthy. Have adventures and know you're above the law and can do whatever you want because you're 'eccentric.' Have all sorts of fine luxuries that we could never afford growing up. It sounds like the perfect life to me."

"That's because you're shallow and self-centered," Carver pointed out.

Emma rolled her eyes. "And you're determined to play the martyr."

"Guys!" Bethany cried out. "This is about mother, remember?"

"Oh, right," Emma said sheepishly. "So…any thoughts?"

"Uncle Gamlen told me that he lost the estate in a game of dice to a slaver," Bethany confided.

Emma let out a startled laugh. "Just try to defend that."

Carver crossed his arms across his chest. "You really don't want to default on a debt to a slaver."

"Who bets their house, especially such a nice estate, in a game of dice?" Emma demanded.

"A gambling addict, I suppose," Carver replied. "This man has a disease, Emma, and he should be pitied and helped and not condemned for it."

"We should break in and steal the will back," Bethany declared. "Those scum don't have a right to our ancestral home no matter what Uncle Gamlen did."

"But how are we supposed to get in?" Carver asked resignedly, knowing that there was no way he was just going to let his sisters walk into a slaving den alone.

"Hey Mother, can we borrow your key to the Amell estate?" Emma inquired brightly.

Carver groaned. So much for subtlety.

\----

The slavers had, for whatever reason, turned the Amell estate into a walking death trap and it was difficult to go more than five feet without having to avoid something. It could be said that those were just very thorough burglar defenses except that it was highly unlikely that the sorts of thugs employed here would be proficient enough to deal with the traps on a regular basis.

Carver had disabled all the traps because, as a mage, Bethany didn't feel that kind of thing was worthy of her time. Emma had once felt the same way until she saw Carver practicing disarming them (which he himself hadn't taken up until he'd spent an entire afternoon caught in one when he was nine) and had determined to prove superior to him in every way.

At last, they reached the vault room and – after some searching – managed to locate the will.

"This is it, Grandfather's will!" Bethany exclaimed, thrilled. "I can't believe we actually managed to pull this off! I feel like a bard or something."

Emma made a face. "Don't say that! They're Orlesian."

"But we live in Kirkwall now so we're really not Ferelden anymore," Bethany pointed out.

Emma drew back. "Don't say that! Loghain will bite you!"

"And perhaps the dog will, too," Carver muttered. "What does the will say?"

"I thought you didn't care," Emma asked, infuriatingly coy.

"I didn't," Carver replied. "Until I was forced to break into the estate."

"We didn't force you to do anything," Emma sniffed. "And for your information, our grandparents left mother and her heirs – meaning us – everything and Gamlen with nothing."

"It's like our family is doomed to play favorites forever," Carver grumbled.

"Play favorites?" Emma asked innocently. "What ever do you mean?"

\----

"So I'm just saying, blood's blood and all but you ARE taking advantage of my hospitality," Gamlen was saying nervously when they returned. "It's only fair if you make something of a...monthly contribution."

"You sold my children into servitude to cover your debts which probably saved your life!" Leandra cried, outraged. "Now you're asking me to pay rent?"

Gamlen flushed. "Maybe just put something towards food?"

"We found the will," Emma said brightly.

"You know, on second thought it's really not all that much of an inconvenience," Gamlen said hastily.

"Here, read it," Bethany suggested, handing their mother the will.

Leandra skimmed it. "I think you rather misunderstand the meaning of 'stipend', dear brother."

"What was I supposed to do?" Gamlen demanded. "How could you control a stipend if you weren't here? You didn't even come back for the funeral!"

"The twins were a week old!" Leandra protested.

"So what? If that apostate husband of yours was good for anything then he could have watched them for a few weeks," Gamlen snapped.

"You're not being fair," Leandra objected.

"Well neither is the fact that I was the one who spent months taking care of father as he wasted away and you're the one who got everything!" Gamlen shouted.

"This is your future," Emma said seriously to Carver.

"At least she wouldn't have singlehandedly ruined the family like you did," Bethany said accusingly. "Even if she didn't touch anything and let it all fall into neglect, it would still be better than what you've managed to do with it."

"It's ancient history," Gamlen said dismissively.

"It's alright, Bethany," Leandra said softly. "It's enough to know that my parents didn't die angry with me. Thank you for that. Maybe…maybe now that you've killed off all the slavers living there – I know you did, don't deny it – I can petition the viscount for the right to reclaim the estates."

Gamlen snorted. "Please. You won't even be able to get an audience. You have to be somebody to live there again."

"If he had any sense he'd let us take it back," Emma insisted. "After all, then we'd owe him forever. And either way, stop trying to bring us down. I get violent when upset."

"She really does," Carver vouched for her.

Gamlen rolled his eyes and stormed out of the building while Leandra went to the desk to read over the will in its entirety.

"I can't believe that Gamlen would do that," Bethany said, shaking her head in disgust. "Actually, the worst part is that I can believe it. I could never turn against my own sister like that!"

"Me either!" Emma said passionately.

"Why are you two looking at me?" Carver demanded.

"Well you didn't echo our declaration," Emma told him.

"And? You didn't say 'sibling'," Carver pointed out.

"Well Gamlen turned against his sister," Bethany reminded him.

"So? That's still an unfortunate implication right there," Carver told them.

"I don't know what you mean," Emma said innocently. "Hey, what do you think it would be like if we had grown up here?"

"Awful," Carver declared. "All these poncy nobles…we'd have been one of them."

"I probably would have just been given to the Circle," Bethany said quietly.

Carver started. "Don't say that! Mother would never-"

"Wouldn't she?" Bethany cut him off. "If she hadn't gotten up the nerve to elope with father then how could she hide me from them for so long? Especially staying in the same place in a city full of templars? And I have to wonder, would it have been so bad?"

"Uh…yes, yes it would be," Emma said, nodding fervently. "The Circle is a horrible, horrible place, remember?"

"Is it?" Bethany asked distantly. "Without me you guys wouldn't have had to live in fear for so many years and I would have at least been able to live unafraid and with others like me."

"I'm a mage, too," Emma reminded her.

"And she was the one who usually made us have to leave," Carver added. "Sister…you're not planning on doing anything reckless, are you?"

Bethany jumped. "Oh, nothing like that!" she assured them.

Carver frowned at her, uncertain. "Because you know, once you announce yourself to them then you'll have to be on the run forever."

"I know, I know," Bethany said quickly. "Forget I said anything."

"Hey, that reminds me," Emma said brightly, taking two items out of her pocket. "Here," she said, handing one to Bethany and the other to Carver.

Carver, naturally, glanced over at Bethany's first. "Where did you get a portrait of Bethany?"

"I think it's of mother," Bethany told them. "Her engagement. She even has a ring on! It's so nice to see her young and carefree for once."

"And bored to tears if this is any indication," Emma remarked.

"Why did you give me a pack of letters?" Carver inquired.

"Remember that mage I was talking to on the way back?" Emma answered his question with one of her own.

Carver nodded. "When you insisted on dragging us through the Gallows despite the fact it was completely out of the way, yes."

"Well, the mage was a friend of father's and the letters – which I read, naturally – are from him to someone named Carver. I asked that mage and he said Ser Carver was a templar who helped father escape from the Circle," Emma announced.

Carver choked. "He sounds like the worst templar I've ever heard of."

"And thus perhaps not a complete monster after all," Emma concluded. "And father even named you after him."

"So you see," Bethany said slowly. "This isn't just a way of trying to cling desperately to the past but a way to look forward."

Emma looked confused. "What are you talking about? Father last saw this man twenty-five years ago and you can't get more ancient than before we were born."

Bethany hastily stepped on her foot. "Father wanted to look towards the future, you see, and he named you after the man who gave him a future of his own."

"I think you might be right…" Carver mused. "So father didn't want to just obsess over what we've lost."

"Obsessing about what we've lost is just plain silly," Emma agreed. "But trying to reclaim it isn't, by any means. Trying to reclaim it will mean we no longer have to live in this dump and instead will get a chance to actually be treated like the nobility that our mother used to be. I'm still not seeing the downside of this."

"Being nobility will mean that you will have eyes on you, including templar eyes," Carver pointed out.

"Being nobility will mean that we have our own gold to bribe templars with and it's not like Varric and those smugglers haven't already been doing that since the moment we walked into this city anyway," Emma countered.

"It's just…not really the life I want for myself, being a pampered noble," Carver said, making a face for himself. "I want to forge my own destiny."

"You don't seem to be getting how much easier that will be with the power, prestige, and outright coin that being a noble will afford you," Emma said, exasperated. "If you want to join the army, you'll be an officer. If you want to have an expedition you can afford to fund your own. You'll be the boss and you'll make the rules. You want to make a name for yourself and strike out on your own, our hopefully reclaimed noble status will only help you do that."

"It's just the principle of the thing, Emma," Carver said, knowing that no matter how hard he tried to explain it to her, Emma would just never get it.

Emma sighed. "Whatever. Just as long as you don't decide to be inspired by Ser Carver and join the templars because I honestly will probably never forgive you."


	12. Mage Saving

"So…I'm kind of bored," Emma admitted. "There's been a definite lack of people who need to die recently and thus a shortage of coin."

"What about all those slavers we killed yesterday when we were breaking into the estate?" Carver asked her.

Emma waved him off. "That was yesterday and we've been here for about ten minutes now and nothing's happening!"

"Speaking of coin," Varric said, inserting himself into the conversation. "How much do you have? It's been about a week since you said you could come up with the fifty sovereigns."

"You can't really expect anyone to get fifty sovereigns in a week, Varric," Bethany told him. "Right, Emma?"

Emma started coughing too hard to speak.

"Emma?" Bethany asked, uncertain.

"Come on Anders, you must have something for us to do!" Emma said eagerly. "There's always all sorts of mage oppression being done."

"Well, I was thinking of slaughtering some templars who are almost unnaturally good at catching apostates," Anders said thoughtfully.

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Emma said enthusiastically. "Let's go do that."

"I don't think that our current group would be very open to that idea and we don't want too many people there as we'd stand out more," Anders replied. "We can check it out later if you want."

"It's a date," Emma said brightly. "And speaking of dates…you know we've known each other for a whole week now and you still won't sleep with me!"

"Sleep with Isabela," Anders said, nodding her way.

"We have plans to meet up later," Isabela revealed. "Right before I meet up with Varric, actually. Sex always inspires me."

"You and Varric?" Aveline asked curiously.

"Oh, no. We're writing a book together," Isabela explained. "Besides, I'm not his type."

"I prefer dwarven women," Varric informed them. "And by 'prefer' I mean 'I am not even slightly attracted to anyone else save Bianca.'"

"That would be less offensive if you didn't say that you were attracted to your crossbow," Bethany said delicately.

"Don't listen to her, Bianca. She couldn't possibly understand," Varric said soothingly.

"You know, we should make plans," Isabela said, eyeing Fenris carefully.

"Not interested," Fenris said flatly.

"Yeah you are," Isabela disagreed. "I can always tell. And one of these days, you'll even take me up on my offer."

"You've never made me an offer," Fenris said, confused.

Isabela laughed. "Please. I make everybody an offer if they're cute. Well, that or rich. Preferably both."

"Oh, I've got something," Anders said, snapping his fingers. "Remember that horrible elven woman that we really should have killed who viciously betrayed her only son by selling him out to the templars because she's a horrible person?"

"What's this?" Carver asked, alarmed.

"I think they are referring to Arianna, a neighbor of mine in the Alienage," Merrill spoke up. "Her son is a mage and she's selflessly protected him from the moment that she found out, even moving even from the Starkhaven Alienage that she was living before because her son did magic in the open and it couldn't be hidden. Unfortunately, he's been having these really graphic night terrors recently and she's concerned that it might be a demon and so asked a templar to look into it, reasoning that a Circle son was better than a possessed one who would only hurt people and end up dead. Her son Feynriel did not share this belief and ran away so now she is looking for him."

"Right, that horrid bitch," Anders agreed.

"I don't think that's fair," Carver protested. "She sounds just like mother."

"Mother never gave us up to the templars," Emma argued.

"Well there was only that one possession attempt by your ex and we dealt with that so she didn't need to," Carver countered. "And besides, father knew what he was doing and this poor woman clearly doesn't have such an expert on hand."

"I don't think that matters whether that woman was right about the templars or not," Isabela spoke up. "What matters now is finding him. It the templars manage to track him down and he resists, he might be killed. Even if they can't find him, he won't know where to go or what to do and I don't see why leaving would clear up the potential possession."

"Where would we even begin to look for a runaway apostate?" Aveline wondered.

"Out of curiosity, do you feel any…compulsion to tell anyone about this fugitive?" Bethany asked quietly.

Aveline blinked. "Not particularly. Why would I?"

"It doesn't matter," Bethany said quickly.

"You are in luck," Anders said proudly. "The mage underground, which knows everything, has tracked Feynriel's movements to a 'retired' templar named Samson."

"Why are there air quotes around 'retired'?" Merrill asked him.

Anders shrugged. "I don't know. That's how it was told to me. I think the important thing is just that he's no longer officially a templar."

"Too bad. We need more templars willing to totally ignore their job and help mages," Emma said seriously.

\----

"If I had my way, I'd double the patrols here," Aveline said as they just finished killing their seventh mob who had suddenly and inexplicably attacked them since stepping foot into Lowtown at night. "Lowtown is trouble."

Isabela laughed. "I hardly think that just doubling it will help. Your men would just get slaughtered. I'm amazed they don't get slaughtered already. There's more than enough outlaws to take them already."

"Well this needs to be dealt with one way or another," Aveline said seriously. "If there's one thing I can't stand it's lawlessness. That and hypocrisy. The captain is supposed to be concerned about this lawlessness and he certainly talks a good deal about it but he never seems to do anything about it."

"Speaking of…are you aware of just how many apostate you travel with? Including a blood mage and an abomination?" Fenris asked innocently.

Aveline nodded. "I do. Why?"

Fenris sighed. "Never mind."

Emma snapped her fingers. "Hey I just remembered…remember that ambush we were supposed to deal with the other day? We kind of forgot about that. What happened?"

"A guard got killed," Aveline said grimly. "If only there was something we could have done…"

"There was," Carver pointed out. "We just forgot. You really should have reminded us."

"Emma, your brother is a bit of a tit," Aveline complained.

"You always say that whenever I'm right," Carver grumbled.

"I know, right?" Emma commiserated.

"Well, well, I was told that my old friend Thrask was sending you folks after me. You're here about the boy Feyn or something, right?" a man asked as they walked by.

"Who's Thrask?" Emma wondered in honest confusion.

"He's that templar that I had to bribe because you admitted to being a mage in front of Feynriel's mother," Varric reminded her.

"Not ringing a bell, sorry," she said apologetically. "And we're not looking for any 'Feyn' either."

"Feynriel, then. Whatever," the man said disinterestedly.

"Are you Samson?" Carver asked.

Samson nodded. "I am indeed. Is that a yes about looking for Feynriel?"

Carver nodded. "Yes, we are. Do you know where he is?"

Samson shook his head. "Sorry. I really can't help you."

Carver twitched. "Then why were you so interested in whether we were looking for him or not?"

"Well…I do know that he came to me, desperate and scared, seeking sanctuary and my heart went out to him – it really did – but he had no money and you know how these things are," Samson said conversationally. "You can't afford to make an exception or you'll never get paid again. I sent him to a ship captain I know named Reiner. I sent some mage girl to him last week."

"I see," Carver said slowly. "So wh-"

"You are a terrible person," Anders said flatly. "You should help all mages for free!"

"I need to eat," Samson said defensively.

"How is that my problem?" Anders demanded.

"How is his lack of money my problem?" Samson countered.

"The plight of the mages is everybody's problem!" Anders insisted.

"It isn't, actually. In fact, I really couldn't care less,' Samson revealed.

Anders' eyes started to glow blue so Carver quickly spoke up. "Where is this Reiner now?"

"Well…that's the thing," Samson admitted reluctantly. "I think maybe he might have taken the two prisoner and is ransoming them back to the templars."

"Let me guess," Anders said sarcastically. "They have to eat, too?"

"Most people do," Samson agreed blithely. "If they didn't want to be captured and ransomed back to the templars, they should have had more money than the templars were willing to pay."

"If they had that sort of money then they wouldn't have needed his help!" Emma exclaimed.

Samson shrugged. "It's a vicious, vicious cycle. Personally, I blame society for perpetuating this madness."

"Is there any more help you can give us?" Bethany asked hopefully. "We really just want to save those poor people."

"I think he's in a warehouse by these docks," Samson told her. "I don't know anything more specific than that, though. After all, if Reiner advertised where he was then if the mage underground didn't kill him then the templars would take those mages back for free. It's just not good business sense."

\----

It took a few tries, but eventually they found the right warehouse.

"Please, anybody, help me!" a terrified-looking mage said as she was backed into a corner by some mean-looking mercenaries.

"Not to worry!" Emma declared grandly. "We are here to help!"

It was too late, though, as the girl promptly turned into an abomination, killed the mercenaries, and was killed in turn by the group.

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about," Anders said, outraged. "That poor woman had no choice but to become an abomination just to be able to defend herself whereas if she were allowed to live free-"

"Save it," Fenris cut him off. "Emma announced that we were here to save her before she became an abomination. And is anybody else concerned by the fact that she apparently managed to make a deal with a demon and become an abomination in all of two seconds? This just goes to show that mages could snap and become possessed at literally any moment. The minute you're about to kill a mage for whatever reason, they could get possessed on you. If you're just fighting one and about to beat then, better hope they don't make a split-second deal."

"I really do think that you're overreacting," Emma told him.

"Based on…?" Fenris inquired.

"Hey look, a letter!" Emma said loudly, pulling a letter off of the girl's corpse. "It's from someone named Olivia to someone named Thrask saying that despite his being a templar she's his mage daughter and thanking him for sheltering her all these years but that she's off to go see the world now."

"A templar with a mage daughter?" Anders couldn't believe it. "What a hypocrite!"

"Well, he is helping mages escape apparently and is trying to save Feynriel," Carver pointed out.

"That means nothing," Anders claimed. "He's still a templar."

"It's remarkable but after so many years of templar-hating I'm almost starting to become convinced that the templars might have a point," Carver said, shaking his head.

"What?" Emma gasped. "Carver, you promised!"

"I did not," Carver snapped. "But I'm not thinking about that anyway."

"How could you even say that?" Anders demanded.

"Well, there's you and Emma for one and all the rampant blood magic and demon possession every time I turn around for another," Carver said dryly.

Merrill looked down. "I'm sorry…"

"Oh no, I didn't mean you!" Carver hastened to assure her.

"Hey look, a scrap of paper that helpfully reveals the name and location of the man Feynriel is supposed to be sold to!" Isabela exclaimed. "How very thoughtful of them. Stupid, but thoughtful."

\----

They approached Danzig and his group in Darktown and the minute they were in sight, the man in front that they presumed was Danzig began to speak. "Why, look here, boys. Volunteers! Clap 'em in irons and let's see what the Tevinters will pay for them."

"What?" Carver couldn't believe it. "Is that how you treat everybody that walks by? No wonder this area of Darktown is so deserted. You must be the laziest slavers around."

Danzig twitched. "We are not. We-"

"But," Fenris interrupted darkly. "You are still slavers, yes?"

Danzig looked taken aback. "Well, yes, but-"

"This won't take long," Fenris promised before stalking purposefully towards them.

\----

True to his word, it did not take long for Fenris to find out where Feynriel was supposed to be although it did take a bit longer for Danzig and his men to be allowed to die.

On their way up to the meeting place, they ran into some giant spiders who were harassing a dwarf and his guards. Since the spiders wouldn't let them pass unmolested, the group was forced to kill them.

"Finally! A rescue," the dwarf said, annoyed. "My guards really are quite useless. Kept standing around and staring at the spiders instead of even trying to kill them."

"But…but they're BIG!" one of the guards protested.

The dwarf rolled his eyes. "What do you think I hired you for?"

"Looking scary?" he guessed.

"You are so fired. Not right now," the dwarf quickly clarified. "But once we get back to Kirkwall and I can find new guards."

"Yeah, that's great but we don't care," Emma told him bluntly. "Now, we'll just be on our-"

"Wait! Don't you want to hear more?" the dwarf demanded.

"No. I probably wouldn't even want to in the best of times but we're in the middle of rescuing a mage from some slavers so that's a double no," Emma said flatly.

"Well too damn bad," the dwarf said crossly. "My name is Javaris Tintop and I need someone to pacify the qunari."

"I would wish you luck with that but I don't even care that much," Emma said, yawning.

"So you may not know this but the qunari have this powder," Javaris said as if he hadn't heard her. "Now, this powder can explode! It does this without any demons or magic or anything! Now, I know this sounds hard to believe but I assure you that-"

"You realize that any idiot has heard of this, right?" Varric cut him off. "We're not stupid."

"I was kind of hoping you were…" Javaris muttered quietly. He cleared his throat. "Well, uh, anyway I want to buy the powder but the Arishok said that I wasn't worthy and that only their outcasts would be so stupid as to sell off their biggest advantage for a quick profit when they don't even believe in money. Naturally, I took this to mean that if I killed those outcasts than they'll sell me the powder."

"Then you're an idiot," Varric said bluntly. "Not that I didn't already know this."

"Then why aren't you off trying to deal with that?" Bethany inquired.

Javaris laughed. "Are you kidding? You saw the way my men ran and hid from those spiders!"

"You know Aveline, this sounds like a job for the city guard," Fenris hinted. "Or are you two busy not noticing all the apostate mages around here?"

"You know, I think dealing with the apostates might be one step below 'deal with the elven squatter' on my to-do list," Aveline said sweetly.

"You know, Fenris, your constant encouragement of Aveline arresting us is really making me think you don't like us," Emma said, pouting.

"I don't like anybody," Fenris insisted. "But you're not bad as far as mages go; you're much too selfish and short-sighted to do any real harm and hurting people doesn't seem to amuse you. Anders is just a horrible influence. And I'm just trying to point out that Aveline here is a far worse guard than even Carver would have been."

"Low blow!" Aveline said, glaring.

"What do you mean 'even' Carver?" Carver demanded.

"So that's a yes?" Javaris asked hopefully.

"No, it's not," Emma told him.

"Great, I'll make sure to wait for you in the qunari compound. Hurry back!" Javaris instructed before running away.

"I'm telling you right now that I'm not going anywhere near that compound," Isabela said flatly.

"We're not going to do it!" Emma called after him. "Oh, whatever. He'll find out soon enough."

\----

"Take one more step and the boy dies," a man said, holding a sword at the throat of who they could only assume to be Feynriel.

"Who are you people?" Emma asked innocently. "And why are you threatening that guy?"

The man with the sword practically fell over. "Y-you don't know who I am? Or who he is?"

"No, we're just your average everyday spelunkers," Emma claimed. "Well…maybe a bit more dedicated than some given that we've braved giant spiders to get here."

"I don't know what that word means and I doubt that I could even pronounce it so therefore I am going to assume that you are lying," the man snapped.

"Okay but even so how does it make sense that you're threatening to kill the guy you're selling? You'll make no money if he's dead and then we have no reason not to kill you," Carver pointed out.

The slaver scoffed. "Please. As if you could kill me."

"If we couldn't kill you then why bother with the hostage?" Carver challenged.

"I…I…oh, shut up," the slaver snapped.

"Varric?" Emma asked brightly.

Varric nodded and stepped forward. "Of course. If I were you, I wouldn't be threatening the viscount's son. Oh, I suppose you just got a tip from a slaver that he was selling mage-flesh cheap. You never thought to ask where he got it? You never wondered if you were buying the viscount's well-known love child from his elven mistress, the boy he swore to protect even if it meant razing the entire free marches?"

"I seek no war with the Free Marches. Take the lad to his father," the slaver said, quickly removing his knife from Feynriel's throat and throwing a bag of money at them. "These fifty sovereigns was the price set on the boy. Please accept it...as an offer of peace." He then promptly fled from the cave.

"What an idiot," Fenris said, shaking his head in disgust. "That's the least believable story I've ever heard."

"And yet…it worked," Varric said, satisfied.

"Varric, you are amazing," Emma said, her eyes shining. "If you weren't in love with Bianca and I weren't in love with Anders, I would totally be in love with you."

Varric grinned. "Aren't they all?"

"Not for nothing but…who the blazes are you people?" Feynriel demanded. "Did the templars send you?"

"No, your mother did," Carver told him.

Feynriel snorted. "Same difference, isn't it. Who would have thought, after everything, I would get some bad dreams and she'd run screaming for them?"

"I know, we think she's a horrible person, too," Emma said passionately.

"Fortunately for you, we are not working for that woman either," Anders said, wrinkling his nose. "I mean, she may have told us about you but still."

"Then why are you here?" Feynriel asked, bewildered.

"We're mage fans and wish to help out every mage that we can," Anders explained.

"Oh. Well that's unexpected," Feynriel said, blinking. "Still, that sounds good to me. Do you think you can help me find the Dalish?"

"Merrill?" Carver asked, turning to her.

Merrill nodded. "Well…you're not an elf but you do have magic and we do prize that greatly. Your mother was one of us as well. I think that you would have a lonely life there, but you would be protected and educated."

"That sounds like a plan. Does anyone have any directions?" Feynriel inquired.

Merrill quickly gave him some and then he ran off.

"Whatever their differences, we really should let his mother know that he's alive," Aveline said, frowning in disapproval at this turn of events.

"So I take it you won't be reporting this either," Fenris said rhetorically.

"You know, if she did all that would happen is a massacre of the Dalish," Merrill pointed out. "Is that what you want, Fenris?"

"No and I do not have to worry because she wouldn't do anything regardless," Fenris replied.

"Why should we?" Anders asked. "You do it if you think that she has any right to know anything about him ever again."

"One thing I love about you, Anders, is how you force literally everyone else – except possibly Fenris – to appear moderate by comparison," Carver told him.

"Next time you start talking about going to the Circle, you really should consider the Dalish instead," Emma said seriously. "I mean, I'm sure they would both suck but if those are your only two options…"

"I'm a little surprised you didn't kill that slaver, Fenris," Carver admitted. "You killed the other one."

"I was paralyzed by his stupidity," Fenris claimed. "Besides, survival of the fittest. He won't last long."

"I'm actually a little offended that you seem to think believing what I say makes someone stupid," Varric admitted.

"You told him that Feynriel was the viscount's son," Fenris reminded him.

"And it's still offensive," Varric sniffed.

"So now that that slaver gave us the money you need for your expedition, you can actually fund it," Isabela remarked.

"What?" Emma asked, blinking. "Oh, no. Trust me. I made that money four days ago."

There was a silence.

"Then why are we still doing things like this when we could be trying to make our dreams come true?" Carver asked with barely-concealed anger.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. I guess stuff just kept coming up."


	13. Templar Mages

"So I guess the question is this," Emma was saying as they were walking back towards Kirkwall. "Since we ended up killing everyone that dwarf wanted us to kill because they attacked us on sight, do we actually tell him that we accidentally helped him? I mean, I really didn't like him very much."

"Maybe there will be a reward," Bethany suggested.

"You might curry favor with the qunari for taking care of their outlaws," Aveline opined.

"If nothing else, it should be good for a laugh when Javaris attempts to convince the Arishok to sell him the powder," Varric pointed out.

"Mistress Hawke, I see that you got my letter," Thrask greeted her warmly as they approached the cave that he was standing in front of.

"No, actually, I didn't," Emma told him. "And for that matter, why are you even talking to me at all? You're an evil templar."

"I don't know if I'd call myself evil," Thrask disagreed.

"She would," Carver informed him. "And it's not worth arguing about."

"Of course I am! I'm a mage!" Emma declared loudly.

Varric sighed in resignation and reached into his pockets.

Thrask held up his hand. "I don't think that would be appropriate this time, all things considering." He glanced at Emma. "You really don't remember me? Thrask? The templar who was there when you found out about Feynriel who I've since learned you sent to the Dalish?"

"Thrask…isn't he the one whose daughter turned into an abomination and got herself killed even though she clearly knew that help was coming and so her death was entirely unnecessary and her own damn fault?" Fenris asked.

Emma snapped. "You know what? I think it was. Here." She shoved the girl's letter Thrask's way.

With trembling hands, he accepted it. "I…thank you. I think. I had hoped…"

Hastily, Carver changed the subject. "You said something about a note?"

Looking grateful for the distraction, Thrask nodded. "Yes, I did. You see, I was hoping that you would do mages another kindness."

"Of course we would! We would do all the kindness in the world for mages whether they like it or not!" Anders announced. "But I doubt that you would even understand what kindness to mages is."

"Is it stopping templars from murdering them unnecessarily?" Thrask queried. "Because if it is then I think that I've got it. You see, there are a number of apostates hiding in this cave and-"

"We are not going to kill apostates for you!" Anders shouted.

"Did you miss the part where I just said that I don't want them dead?" Thrask asked, confused.

"Eh, don't mind him," Isabela advised him. She jerked her head Emma's way. "Or her either, for that matter. They have issues with templars."

"Duly noted," Thrask murmured. "These mages were from the Starkhaven circle which burned down under mysterious circumstances the same night that the mages emptied out the Circle wine cellar. Ser Karras is coming to collect them soon and by 'collect' I mean 'murder.' If you could talk them into surrendering to spare their lives, that would be great."

"We'd rather kill these apostates ourselves than talk them into going back to that wretched place!" Anders cried out. "Right, Emma?"

Emma nodded firmly. "Of course."

"Maybe this was a bad idea…" Thrask murmured.

"Well it's too late now," Carver told him as he watched his sister and her wannabe boyfriend race into the caves.

He and the others followed the pair in to find them arguing with a bemused Circle mage.

"Look, I just don't know what you want me to do," the mage was protesting. "I don't even want to be a part of this. I love the Circle. I never wanted to escape and I just want to go back. Plus, you said that there was a templar waiting just outside and more on the way."

"What kind of a traitor are you?" Anders demanded, horrified.

"I'm not a traitor," the mage insisted. "I just want this nightmare to be over…And besides, the others are raising the dead!"

"Why did you run in the first place then?" Merrill asked logically.

"Decimus, that's our leader, said that we were probably just going to be dismissed as blood mages anyway…probably because they're all blood mages," the mage explained.

"What about you?" Carver asked him.

The mage wouldn't meet their eyes. "No…Now if you don't mind, I'm just going to go now…"

Emma just shook her head. "I just don't understand some people…"

"It will be okay, Emma," Anders assured her. "And one day he'll wake up and realize what an idiot he's been when they give him a nice sun tattoo on his forehead."

"I want a tattoo," Emma pouted.

"No, you really don't," Anders replied. "Well…at least not one of those."

"I always wanted to get one on the small of my back, maybe an angel or a butterfly or something but Carver said it would make everything think that I was easy," Emma explained.

"Well I, for one, think it would be a great idea," Isabela declared. "I have a tattoo there, you know."

"Somehow I am not surprised," Varric murmured.

"I figured Bianca would tell you after last night," Isabela said flippantly.

Varric jerked and clutched at Bianca tightly. "Don't even joke about that!"

"Come on," Emma urged and led them all onward.

There were three apostates just standing around at the back of the cave.

"Look!" the middle one, the only man, said. Decimus. "Templars come to drag us back to the Circle!"

"We're actually mages," Emma said, looking highly offended. "At least Anders and I are."

"And me. Bethany, too," Merrill reminded them but they appeared not to hear her.

"I really think they are," the woman to the left of him agreed.

"And we're here to help," Anders informed them.

"I will not hear these templar lies!" Decimus raged before raising his arms and calling forth an army of the dead. Unfortunately, the dead weren't very effective fighters and neither was Danarius once Fenris got behind him and so the fight was soon over.

"Decimus!" the same woman from before screamed once he was dead. "How could you do this to him, you monsters! You're mages, too!"

"Easily," Emma said dismissively. "He was completely insane to the point that he thought we were templars and attacked us. Not to mention that we really don't take kindly to being confused for templars."

"You did it because he dared to defy the templars!" the woman accused.

"No, seriously, that wasn't it," Carver assured her. "You saw that he was trying to kill us. Why must you people make everything about defying templars and turn any disagreement into an accusation of hating mages?"

"See, this has been my point all along," Fenris informed him triumphantly.

"I don't believe you but I don't want to go back to the Circle either way so will you help me kill the templars and escape, you vile traitors?" the woman demanded.

"Of course we will," Anders said, not offended in the slightest.

"Wait a minute," Fenris objected. "Why are we just automatically going to do what you want to do? I want to turn them in and I'm sure that if Aveline stopped being a hypocrite for five seconds she'd want that, too."

"I am not a hypocrite!" Aveline protested, making sure not to look at any of the four apostate mages with them.

"Because Emma happens to agree with me," Anders said smugly.

"Well who put her in charge? She has serious issues!" Fenris exclaimed.

They all looked at each other.

"Well, the way I see it, it was just the Hawkes and I at first," Varric saw fit to answer. "I partnered with them to raise money and get a map for that expedition we really should go on soon. Really, I just wanted Emma because she's easily the most powerful of the three – probably more powerful than the others two combined – and since it was her money to raise, I didn't fight her for leadership. Everyone else just sort of tagged along for whatever reason."

"It's still a terrible idea," Fenris grumbled. "Carver, I blame you."

"Oh, you try reasoning with her," Carver snapped.

"Can we just go?" the unnamed mage asked, annoyed.

The group plus the two surviving mages made their way outside to find the mage from earlier waiting quietly with Thrask and a new group of templars rapidly approaching.

Anders' eyes glowed blue and he began shooting fire at them. When Emma noticed this, she promptly added some lightning of her own.

"What in the world was that?" Thrask demanded when the other templars were all dead.

"Huh?" Anders asked as his eyes returned to normal. "Sorry. Sometimes I just attack all templars on sight. It's a reflex, really."

"But I'm-" Thrask started to say.

"You're really better just quitting while you're ahead," Carver advised, cutting him off.

Thrask nodded reluctantly. "So I guess I'll take these three mages back to the Gallows."

"Actually, Grace and I are leaving," the other female mage spoke up for the first time. "Goodbye."

With that, the pair began to walk away.

"By the way, if we get caught, I'm going to hate you all forever," Grace called over her shoulder.

"I feel like I should go after them," Thrask noted. "But I feel even more strongly that you lot should have stopped them. Why didn't you?"

"Apparently Emma's in charge," Bethany replied. "And she didn't want to."

\----

"Hey, do you think that there's anything for us to loot down there?" Emma inquired, pointing down a divergent path on their way back to Kirkwall.

"There's only one way to find out," Carver replied and they set off down said path.

They found a devastated noble on his knees and a medium-sized gang clustered nearby while a woman who was clearly their leader stood over a fallen qunari. "Another dead qunari. That was easier than I expected."

"Well what did you expect?" Isabela asked matter-of-factly. "Two dozen on one isn't great odds."

"Shut up! We're just awesome!" the woman insisted. "Who are you, anyway? Competition? The Winters and I have already claimed the boy."

"Are you slavers?" Fenris asked suspiciously, taking a step forward.

"What? No, no we're not," the woman denied, looking surprised.

"Serah, I really don't want to go back but I will if I must. I just won't see these murderers rewarded. If you kill them, I'll return with you," the noble offered.

"Spoiled brat!" the woman bit out. "I'll cut out your tongue and charge extra for bringing you back quiet!"

"But if you do that then won't they not want to pay you?" Merrill asked confused.

"Oh, they'll pay us all right or we'll kill them!" the Winters woman said viciously.

"Well if you're going to kill them then why not just rob them instead of bothering with all of this?" Merrill pressed.

"Shut up!" the woman screamed. "Die!"

With that, she and her men attacked. Two dozen on nine was much better odds, particularly when they were all so delightfully lethal.

"Good riddance," the noble said once they were all dead. "But she said she was waiting for more. A lot more."

"This is ridiculous," Emma complained. "Who are you? Who are they? Why are they attacking me?"

The noble visible started. "You mean…you don't know?"

"Of course I don't know!" Emma burst out. "Tell me now or I'm just going to leave because I'm nearly positive that you aren't a mage."

"I'm not," the noble confirmed. "My name is Saemus Dumar. My father is the viscount. We don't get along so I get out of Kirkwall as often as I can. I met a qunari called Ashaad who was the most fascinating being I've ever met. He didn't care that I was a noble and judged me on my own merits. As such, I left a note informing my father that I was leaving forever to be with Ashaad and he reacted…poorly. He announced that I was kidnapped and offered a reward to bring me back home safely. Now that Ashaad is dead, I suppose I might as well return."

"It sounds like they were more than just friends," Isabela mused. "And speaking of, Varric, do you smell the possibilities here?"

Varric nodded eagerly. "Oh, I can see it now: two star-crossed lovers from not only feuding families but feuding cultures! They'll never truly be able to understand each other but love still finds a way. Until, of course, tragedy strikes."

"The only question is whether or not Saemus' character commits suicide at the end to make it more dramatic or not," Isabela said thoughtfully.

"We could publish it in installments," Varric suggested. "Then Saemus' character's ultimate fate depends on how popular he is and if we think a sequel would be a viable option."

"You do realize I'm right here, right?" Saemus asked, annoyed.

"We do, yes," Varric confirmed.

"And that Ashaad and my relationship was nothing like that?" Saemus pressed.

"No comment," Isabela told him.

"Why did your father say that you got kidnapped if you didn't?" Merrill inquired innocently.

Saemus barked out a harsh laugh. "I suppose it sounds better if he can tell people that I was abducted and not that I went to go live with the 'savage' qunari."

"As one who has lived among the qunari myself, I do not think that you truly understand what it is that you seek," Fenris said wisely.

"Well I'll never know now, will I?" Saemus sulked.

"You know, you're really hot," Emma said, noticing this for the first time. "We should totally hook up sometime."

"Hey, what about me?" Anders demanded.

"Sorry but I can't promise monogamy to anyone that I'm not actually in a relationship with," Emma said unrepentantly. "Just say the word, Anders."

Anders looked away. "I can't. Justice-"

"I think there's the next wave," Saemus announced worriedly.

"Oh, whatever," Emma huffed. "If those romance novels that my mother so adores know anything than sooner or later my continuous pressuring you to date me will pay off and you'll fall madly in love with me."

"And if they don't know anything?" Carver asked curiously.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Stop being so unsupportive!"

\----

Saemus was still vaguely traumatized when they took him back to his father. "I didn't know people would burn for that long…"

"May I present to you Serah Emma Hawke who rescued Saemus," one of the viscount's people informed him.

The viscount looked her over. "Hawke…Hawke…now where have I heard that name before? Ah, are you of any relation to Leandra Hawke who won't stop pestering me to give her back her legally sold family estate?"

"To be fair, we did kill the previous owners and they were evil slavers so it's not like anyone's using the property," Bethany pointed out.

"If I give you the deed to that back, do you think Leandra will leave me alone? She's here all day and she keeps sneaking into my office," the viscount complained.

"No promises," Carver said.

"Well I'll do it anyway and hope for the best," the viscount decided. "Have the papers drawn up, will you?"

"Way to not even acknowledge that I'm here, Father," Saemus complained, abruptly snapping out of it.

"Saemus, I'm overjoyed to see that you've returned safe and sound," the viscount said exuberantly.

Saemus cross his arms. "Don't even pretend that you care besides avoiding an incident. I bet if you could figure out a way to have me killed without making you look bad, you'd absolutely take it."

"Now, son, you know that's not true," the viscount said soothingly.

"Your men killed my friend!" Saemus complained.

"If you're referring to the Winters then they weren't really my men," the viscount corrected. "And I had been told that you were captured alone."

"I wasn't captured, Father," Saemus insisted. "I ran off to go live with the qunari. And don't even pretend that you didn't know because I left a note!"

"Oh?" the viscount asked, surprised. He glanced at his desk. "You run off so very often and you never date your notes so I thought that that was an old one. I'm sorry about that."

"Look, this is all very boring so can you just give me my money and let me go?" Emma demanded.

"Then we're going on the expedition, right?" Carver asked hopefully.

There was no answer.

"Oh, come on!"


	14. Clearly the Best Candidate

Passing through Lowtown after another day of adventuring, Emma and her companions fought their way through no less than seven random mobs of people calling themselves the most absurd things (who were these 'Cranky Caterers' and why were they trying to kill them?).

"Not for nothing, Aveline," Carver said as he pulled his sword out of a corpse, "but do you really think that the guards are doing an adequate job of protecting the streets? I mean, really?"

"Guardsman Donnic is a good man," Aveline said stiffly. "And he's doing the best he can."

'But that's just it," Carver said exasperated. "Why do you guys only have one man patrolling? You might as well not send anybody."

Aveline turned her fierce glare on him. "That kind of thinking is why you will never be in the guard."

"Too bad," Carver said flippantly. "With me on your side you lot might actually accomplish something."

"But that reminds me, we do really need to do some serious recruiting," Aveline mused. "We'd take just about anybody at this point except Carver. Anders? Merrill? Fenris? Bethany? Emma?"

"Hey, do you hear that?" Emma asked brightly. "I hear fighting!"

Everyone groaned.

"Not more fighting!" Bethany said tiredly.

Emma's face fell. "I'm sorry, Bethany. But…but they might be hurting people!"

"Oh, all right…" Bethany relented.

"Oh, her you ask for permission from…" Carver grumbled.

"Carver, stop complaining," Emma ordered. "Come on, everyone!"

"Maybe it's a mage," Anders said hopefully as he raced towards the sounds. "No, it's just that guard guy. Emma, I don't know about you but I'm going home."

"Good night," Emma said, waving him off. She turned around and watched him walking away.

"Oh, what, so he gets to just up and leave and no one cares," Carver complained.

"We really should help this man," Merrill suggested.

"I agree," Aveline said. "So why aren't we doing anything?"

"You could do something, you know," Fenris pointed out.

"Um…help…" the man said weakly from the ground.

"Oh, right," Aveline said sheepishly, pulling out her shield and bashing one of the men on the head with it.

Soon, the attackers were all dead and Aveline was pulling Donnic to his feet.

"Thank the Maker you're here!" Donnic exclaimed. "I was worried that I was about to be brutally murdered like Brennan was."

"Brennan…" Isabela repeated, tapping her chin with her fingertip. "That was that woman that we were supposed to save but didn't end up doing so because we kind of forgot, right?"

"I think so," Varric agreed. "Too bad, huh?"

Aveline turned her glare on them.

"What?" Varric asked, holding up his hands appeasingly. "I said it was too bad!"

"Well you don't sound very crushed by this news," Aveline sniffed.

"That might be because I'm not," Varric replied. "I mean, I'm sorry but I've never even met her. In fact, I'm not even positive on her being a woman."

"And now you're insulting her, too!" Aveline groused.

"That wasn't what I…never mind," Varric said, shaking his head.

"Aveline, you're a beautiful sight," Donnic breathed.

"Really?" Emma asked, shocked. "But…but it's Aveline. She's got, like, red hair and freckles and everything! And her hair's always pulled back in that dreadful ponytail and she's got blood all over her face and…how hard did you hit your head, anyway?"

Donnic coughed. "I had actually meant that I was relieved that she was here but, well, she's okay."

"Too bad Anders went home," Emma said ruefully. "This man clearly needs to be checked out. I mean, I guess 'okay' is better than 'beautiful' but I'm still a little concerned-"

"Thank you very much, Emma," Aveline cut her off. "Donnic, what happened?"

"I was attacked by bandits," Donnic replied. "What did it look like?"

"Yes but why-" Aveline began before it was her turn to be interrupted.

"Oh what have we here?" Isabela asked gleefully as she went through Donnic's satchel. "The viscount's seal? Office documents? City accounts? Illicit love letters?"

"Give me those," Varric said, pocketing the notes.

"Those aren't yours, surely," Bethany said, shocked.

Varric shook his head. "Not to worry, Sunshine. I'm just hoping for a little bit of inspiration."

"So you're just going to steal them?" Now it was Merrill who sounded troubled.

"Well, she did say illicit," Varric replied as if that changed anything.

"There's only one possible explanation here," Aveline said grimly. "Captain Jeven is evil and corrupt and he set Donnic up to get killed just like Brennan was. He must answer for this."

"Well, Donnic could be the traitor. It's his pack, after all," Carver pointed out. "He could have just been double-crossed or beaten for effect."

Aveline glared at him. "Carver, stop being such a tit."

\----

"Why do we need to be here?" Emma asked annoyed as they waited outside soon-to-be-removed Captain Jeven's office.

"Because he is about to be arrested and replaced and it is all thanks to us," Aveline replied primly.

"Yeah but I'm not really getting anything out of this and I don't care so…" Emma trailed off.

"Then why did you come?" Aveline inquired.

Emma gestured to Anders who was giving Donnic an examination. "After the crazy things that Donnic was saying last night, I wanted to be sure."

"A man doesn't have to be brain damaged to find me attractive, Emma," Aveline growled. "I was married once, you know."

"Yeah but he was a templar and so that doesn't count," Emma replied.

"Why not?" Aveline demanded. She was spared having to hear Emma's reasoning when two guards with their helmets on dragged Jeven out into the hallway.

"You can't do this to me! I'm your captain! I'll have you fired!" Jeven threatened wildly.

"Not for nothing but I think that's why they're wearing helmets," Varric offered.

"And you," Jeven hissed, his eyes landing on Aveline. "This is all your fault! And you're from Ferelden so this is doubly your fault! I'll see you hanged and quartered for exposing my treason! Why couldn't you just mind your own business?"

"With all the proof, I kind of doubt it," Carver remarked. "And to make public threats like that really won't help his case. Not to mention that even if he miraculously was pardoned, everyone would know why he wanted to go after Aveline anyway. But then, we are talking about the guards so who knows what will happen?"

The viscount's assistant wandered into the room then.

"We found debts to some pretty disreputable characters and I guess that he was looking to pay them back with state secrets," he told them. "Such poor character. I do wonder how he ever got the job in the first place."

"You're the one who hired him," Emma pointed out. "Or the viscount."

The assistant studiously ignored that. "Now we really do need a replacement guard captain. Oh, this is so bothersome…hey, how about you, Aveline? You're the one who exposed Jeven so we can use that to justify your appointment! And you're standing right in front of me so I won't even have to bother to go looking for anyone else who might be infinitely more competent and better qualified! Not that I even know if there are any such people because that's the kind of effort I'm putting into this."

"I…me? The captain of the guards?" A look of pure bliss came over Aveline's face. "I'm honored, sir. Absolutely honored."

"Wait, her?" Carver couldn't believe it. "But she's a terrible guard and regularly hangs out with people she should be arresting!"

"I don't know what kind of mischief that you get up to in your free time, young man," the assistant said frostily. "But I'm sure that Aveline knows nothing of it nor does her failure to know say anything bad about her. But I guess we can train her or something first."

"I wonder if the crime rate will go up or down with someone not accepting bribes in charge," Carver m used.

Varric snorted. "I wouldn't expect it to change much at all, kid."

\----

"Wait, we're going to see the Qunari?" Isabela asked, panicked, as they stepped up to the gate entrance to the compound. The qunari guard eyed her curiously. "I really can't be here. They'll probably kill me for that thing I stole from them."

"Their sacred text," Fenris supplied.

"Whatever it was," Isabela agreed. "I'll catch you later, Emma, Varric."

Emma looked confused. "What was that all about? Anders, do you think Isabela is acting at all suspicious."

Anders shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she just doesn't like qunari."

Carver sighed. "Look, we've got some news for the…Arishok, I believe. May we come in and see him?"

"Very well," the guard agreed, opening the gate. "But try anything and you will die."

Javaris was already inside when they entered, wringing his hands nervously. His whole body lit up when he saw them. "Just who I wanted to see!" Quieter, he continued, "It's about time you showed up. I've been here for a week!"

"Why in the world would you go directly here when we didn't even agree to help you?" Carver wondered.

Javaris shrugged. "I had a good feeling about this."

The qunari sitting in a throne across from him (who was the largest qunari with the biggest horns that any of them had ever seen) looked decidedly unimpressed. "Speak."

"Oh great and mighty Arishok, I am here to report that your hated foe, the Tal'Vashoth were all summarily cut down by my friends here," Javaris reported proudly.

Varric looked insulted. "We are not your friends."

"Whatever. You did kill all of them, right?" Javaris asked, suddenly nervous.

Merrill nodded. "Yes, we did. But it was only in self-defense. They attacked us the moment we got close."

Javaris nodded, looking relieved. "Right. Shouldn't have doubted you. So they're all dead. I'm ready to open negotiations with you for the explosive powder now."

The Arishok stared at them unblinkingly for so long they all started to fidget.

"No," he said finally.

"Do something!" Javaris begged.

"I would but I don't care," Emma told him. "I just want to get paid."

"Fine, here," Javaris said, grumbling as he handed over some coin. "Now talk some sense into him."

Emma thought it over. "No," she said, echoing the Arishok.

"Allow me," Fenris said, stepping forward. "I used to live with qunari before I needlessly slaughtered all of them because someone I hated told me to, you know."

"While I'm not sure that this makes you the best person to negotiate with them – or at all sane, really – I've got nothing else so give it a go," Javaris instructed him.

"Arishok, why do you not honor your bargain with this dwarf?" Fenris asked simply.

Javaris practically fell over. "What? Th-that's it?"

"Qunari like to get straight to the point," Fenris explained.

"Because there was no bargain," the Arishok replied just as simply.

Fenris nodded, satisfied.

"Could you…elaborate?" Bethany requested.

"His offer was refused so he invented a task to prove his worth when he has none," the Arishok continued.

"I broke my beard getting your outcasts killed!" Javaris cried, outraged.

"You hired someone more competent and now stand in their shadow and pretend that it is yours," the Arishok countered. "You paid them in front of me. And even had you done the deed yourself, we made no bargain and so I am under no obligation to do as you ask."

"Well…yeah, that is pretty much what happened," Emma agreed.

"You demean their accomplishment. Get out of my sight before I bother lifting my sword," the Arishok ordered.

"Saved by the power of laziness, who would have thought?" Varric asked amused.

"But…I don't understand!" Javaris complained. "Why won't you give it to me? You have it and people want to buy it! It only makes sense!"

Carver stared at him. "You seriously don't get why he wouldn't want to sell to you?"

"I just said that, didn't I?" Javaris asked crossly.

"One of the reasons that the qunari are so effective is because their explosive powder is so much more effective than any sort of explosives that we can manufacture," Carver explained. "Even if it weren't for the fact that they are constantly at war and have a practical need for this advantage on a daily basis, giving up such a strong advantage would put yourself at risk if you ever got attacked."

"Not to mention that the qunari are not a greedy people," Fenris added. "They wage war but they seek only to help people find the Qun. It may not be what the rest of Thedas would choose for themselves but it is not done out of any interest in gold or other material things. You'll never win them over through that sort of bribery. Ironically, it would be a Tal'Vashoth like the ones we killed for you who would be the only ones to even consider your offer."

Javaris threw his hands up in the air. "You know what? I give up. You're all crazy!"

"You leave, too," the Arishok instructed them.

"We will," Emma agreed. "But first I thought I should mention that some of your mage-guards allowed a mage to speak in front of us before they killed him and so tried to murder us even though the mage only told us to follow the Qun and we didn't even particularly want to talk to him in the first place and so we killed them instead."

The Arishok looked surprised. "You must be very skilled then. Thank you for telling me."

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "Th-that's it?"

"What do you want, to be attacked by the entire qunari army in the heart of their compound?" Carver hissed to her. "Shut up!"

"Well no, but I feel that I should be honest about this," Emma explained.

"Yes," the Arishok answered. "Leave."

Left with little choice, the group did so and the gate slammed behind them the second the last one was out.

Sebastian was waiting for them.

"Oh great," Aveline grumbled.

"Who invited him?" Anders demanded.

"What do you want?" Emma asked rudely.

"You forgot to tell me where we were meeting today," Sebastian said, smiling. "Just like you haven't mentioned it for the last two weeks."

"And you didn't get what we were trying to tell you?" Bethany asked pointedly.

Sebastian shrugged. "I wondered if maybe I kept slipping your mind or if this is just a hilarious misunderstanding where you all think someone else told me. Or maybe you want me to be more self-sufficient. Either way, I've collected some heroic quests for you to look into. If, you know, you want to."

There was a silence as they all hoped that he would just go away.

"What are they?" Merrill asked curiously once it became obvious that he was waiting for them to make the next move.

"Merrill!" Emma complained.

"What do you expect from a blood mage?" Anders asked contemptuously.

"Do you always have to bring that up?" Carver asked irritably. "That has nothing to do with that."

"Everything has to do with that," Anders said stubbornly.

"There's this woman who is looking for her templar recruit brother, Keran, who has gone missing," Sebastian began.

"Boo, why do we care about that?" Anders demanded. "He's a templar."

"Lots of other templars have apparently gone missing as well," Sebastian continued, frowning slightly in confusion.

"It can't be one of our people," Anders said. "I'd have heard of it. Still, maybe we should find them. They could have some good ideas."

"Or we could always stop the illegal kidnapping," Aveline suggested.

Emma and Anders exchanged a glance before bursting out laughing.

"Next there's a man named Ghyslain de Carrac who is looking for his missing wife," Sebastian told them.

"Is she a templar, too?" Fenris inquired.

"No but according to everyone who knows her, she likely just ran off because her husband is verbally abusive and all and all a horrible person," Sebastian answered. "Then finally Magistrate Vanard says that there is an escaped criminal hiding in the ruins outside of Kirkwall. And before you ask, there is no reason to think that he is a mage or a templar."

"Why would we ask?" Anders asked blankly.

"Though for the record, we're offended that you put mage first," Emma said sternly.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian apologized. "So, now that I'm here what are we going to do?"

Varric yawned loudly. "Wow, I'm beat. I think I'm going to just go straight to bed now."

"Yeah, I think that sounds like a good plan," Aveline agreed.

"Let's call it a day," Fenris said, nodding.

"B-but it's not even noon yet!" Sebastian protested.

Emma's eyes narrowed. "Are you questioning our methods? Honestly, Sebastian, where do you even get off? You never even help us do anything and now this!"

"But…but…" Sebastian sputtered.

Carver finally took pity on him as everyone else began to walk away. "Don't worry. You're probably better off."


	15. Running Out of Delays

"Okay, so we need to decide what's more pressing," Carver announced. "Finding out what's happening to these templar recruits, looking for that man's missing wife, or looking for a missing criminal outside of Kirkwall."

"I'm not looking for a templar," Anders said stubbornly.

"But he might be in serious trouble!" Carver protested.

"He might," Anders agreed. "In fact, I hope he is. It would serve him right for being a templar, you know."

"Oh, come on! You can't possibly mean that!" Carver protested.

"He does and so do I," Emma said seriously.

Carver sighed, knowing that if Emma wasn't going to help then nobody else would either. "Fine. I'll go take care of that."

"Would you like me to come with you and help, Carver?" Merrill offered. "I may not know much about templars but I do know that everybody is deserving of help when they are in need."

Carver couldn't help but smile at that. "That would be absolutely wonderful, Merrill, but I think it might be a little too dangerous for you to go with me since you're a mage. It would be one thing if we were all going but since we're not…"

Merrill nodded. "I understand. I would hope that if I helped to save this man he wouldn't betray me but you might be right about the need to be cautious."

"Isn't it just like a blood mage to want to help a man in need, no matter how much she may dislike him?" Anders said disgustedly.

"No, I don't think that's very much like a blood mage at all," Fenris disagreed. "And it's a stupid philosophy anyway."

"You could always take Sebastian," Bethany suggested, trying to be helpful.

"I'm not that desperate." Carver sighed again. "I don't like the thought of leaving Emma alone to do something important but I suppose at least Bethany will be there. I'll meet you guys back at the Hanged Man tonight when I'm done." With that, he began to walk off alone to face whatever was managing to kidnap templars.

Isabela bit her lip, watching him go. "Hey, wait for me!" she called after him suddenly and took off after him.

"I didn't know that Isabela cared for templars," Emma said, surprised.

"And since he's Carver we know it's impossible that she cares for him," Aveline added.

"Oh, she doesn't," Varric assured them. "She just enjoys flaunting her sexuality in front of the supposedly chaste templars. Besides, when they do break their vows for her it's excellent research material."

"Alright so now that that's settled let's go look for that criminal," Emma announced.

"Why are we going after him?" Bethany asked.

"He may not be a mage or a templar – we don't know but he could be – but if any crime is committed at all then there's a chance that an innocent mage will be blamed or that he might hurt or kill an innocent mage," Anders responded. "As such it is our solemn duty to prevent such an atrocity from happening."

"But what about that man's missing wife?" Aveline asked.

Emma shrugged. "That sounds boring. But you're a guard and you're going to be captain soon. Why don't you look into it."

"Fine, I will," Aveline snapped. "If only because you're a terrible person."

"Why doesn't Aveline like me?" Emma wondered, confused.

"I don't think she's quite over you murdering her husband," Bethany told her.

Emma waved that off. "Oh, please, that was years ago!"

"It was less than a year and a half ago!" Aveline countered. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Now, is anyone willing to come with me?"

"I'll go," Merrill offered. "I don't really feel welcome around Anders and Emma without Carver here anyway."

"Well if I absolutely must take an illegal blood mage in order to uphold the laws of this great city then so be it," Aveline said long-sufferingly.

"So that leaves myself, Anders, Bethany, Fenris, and Varric to go after this heinous criminal then," Emma said brightly. "Sounds perfect."

\----

"Hello, we're here to take care of the escaped criminal," Emma announced.

"So you're our reinforcement, huh?" one of the templars said.

"Is the criminal a mage?" Anders asked.

"No, why would you ask that?" the templar asked, surprised. "I know it's hard to believe but sometimes people are criminals without magic having anything to do with it."

Anders twitched. "No kidding. But if he's not a mage then why are you templars here?"

The templar laughed. "Please. Are we supposed to trust the guard to stand around here doing nothing while the criminal probably gets himself torn limb from limb?"

"I think they could probably manage it," Varric said dryly.

"I wish I had your faith in the guard," Fenris said, shaking his head.

"Well it's just that we think it's really dangerous in there and aren't getting paid nearly enough to go save him so if he gets himself killed then it's his own problem," the templar explained.

An elf approached them. "That bastard's to be brought back alive after all he's done?" he demanded outraged. "Just because it isn't you and your pretty little Shemlen children he's after!"

"Who said anything about taking him in alive?" Bethany asked, surprised. "I just heard that he's probably dead."

"Well…maybe no one said it," the elf conceded. "But he's thinking it!"

"I'm a little concerned," Varric admitted. "I don't think this man should be allowed children."

"You're right!" the elf agreed. "That criminal should never be allowed around children!"

"Not actually what I meant," Varric muttered.

"So what did this criminal do anyway?" Anders wondered. "And does it have anything to do with mages?"

The elf gave him a strange look. "No. I-"

"Don't care," Anders interrupted.

"Well I do," Fenris said. "Tell me."

"He targets elves. He tortures and kills them and he has my daughter in there with him right now!" the elf cried out. "But he's the son of the magister so no one ever does anything."

"Shhhh!" the templar shushed him urgently. "No one is supposed to know about that! You know what a scandal his son being a murderer is going to cause!"

The elf rolled his eyes. "Yes well you'll forgive me if I don't give a damn in light of the fact that my daughter is probably dead!"

"Actually, no, I do not forgive you," the templar told him haughtily. "Your grief is no reason to be rude or to risk getting me in trouble with a magister."

"My daughter was hardly his first victim, you know," the elf informed them. "Over the years he's taken dozens of elf children. We all know who he is and half the Alienage can provide a positive identification but not once has he paid for his crimes!"

"Oh, that's not fair," the templar protested. "He's been convicted every time! I don't know what more you're expecting!"

"He was given community service!" the elf screamed.

"Our prisons are over-crowded!" the templar shot back.

"Maybe they wouldn't be if you didn't keep converting the jails into rooms for new mages," Anders pointed out bitterly.

"What are we supposed to do? Force the mages to sleep five to a room?" the templar demanded. He paused. "Now there's an idea…"

"Oh, Maker, strike me down now for inspiring a templar," Anders practically begged.

"The community service was reading to elven children!" the elf shouted.

"That might not have been the best plan," the templar admitted. "But I think the logic was that since he had so harmed the elven community now he would try to aid them in some way."

"There was no logic there, just another opportunity to him to prey on our children!" the elf accused. "Why don't you just lead a massacre and wipe us out?"

"Careful," Bethany cautioned. "Anders already accidentally inspired the templars."

"Are you trying to tell me that humans really don't care that all of this is going on?" Emma asked, horrified.

The elf laughed bitterly. "Please. No human could ever possibly care about an elf."

"I care about elves. I care about everybody," Emma said nobly. "Except templars, of course."

"Hey!" the templar protested.

"What?" Emma asked innocently.

"The only reason the criminal was ever sentenced to anything at all is because he keeps confessing and won't be persuaded to change his story," the elf complained. "So will you kill him or what?"

"I cannot commit to a course of action until I actually meet this man and learn more about the situation," Emma explained. "I mean, he's not a mage or a templar so the situation might actually be complicated."

"You're all the same," the elf complained.

"Seriously, don't kill him and if you absolutely must claim a giant spider or something did it," the templar advised. "Or blame a mage. Everyone always believes that mages do these things."

"Urge to kill rising…" Anders said, his eyes flashing blue.

"Not here," Emma said, grabbing his arm to halt him. "Just remember him, possibly get a name, then go after him later when he's alone."

"I don't really think this is ethical…" Bethany said slowly.

"You know I can hear you, right?" the templar asked rhetorically.

"Whatever. Now let's go after this criminal!" Emma cried out.

\----

"Is it a bad sign that I'm so very used to killing these spiders that it's all getting just a bit monotonous?" Emma asked uncertainly.

"Of course it is," Anders agreed, nodding. "Boredom is awful."

"If Carver were here he would probably tell you that it's very bad because getting bored while causing death and destruction is a sign that you're attaching less value to life," Bethany told her.

"Well he's not here so I guess we don't have to hear about it," Anders said cheerfully.

"You're probably right, Anders," Emma said, relieved. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with feeling nothing as I strike down creature after creature."

"I never feel anything when I strike down creatures," Fenris shared.

"See," Anders said, jerking his thumb at Fenris. "Even he agrees with me!"

"Of course, I'm also well-aware that I have problems and that I do not respond to things as a fundamentally healthy person would," Fenris added.

They soon turned a corner and saw a little elf girl sitting on the floor.

"That doesn't look safe," Emma said, frowning.

"Oh, what is she? Sandal?" Anders asked rhetorically.

"You know Sandal?" Varric asked curiously.

Anders waved him off. "Don't ask. Just know that I know that he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself in a room full of monsters and has been known to just stand around surrounded by the corpses of monsters that nobody remembers killing."

"He sounds like a mage," Emma remarked.

Anders shrugged. "He does enchantments. It's probably as close to being a mage as dwarves can get."

"Not too loud, Blondie. Wouldn't want to give the Chantry any more bright ideas now would you?" Varrc asked pointedly.

Anders made a face. "Hey, it's not like anyone in here is a member of the Chantry."

Bethany saw that clearly none of her companions was interested in speaking to the girl. "Um, hello. Who are you?"

"My name is Lia," Lia introduced.

"Why are you here?" Bethany continued gently.

"A bad man took me away from my father and made me come in here!" Lia said, starting to tear up. "I don't really know where I am and I just want to go home! Please help me find my way out of here!"

"Hey, kid, I'm pretty sure that your father's waiting outside for you," Varric told her. "He did say that his daughter was in here and how many elven girls can this guy possibly be keeping in here?"

"J-just me, I think," Lia answered despite Varric's question being rhetorical. "Is my father very angry at me? He told me not to go with Kelder but he had a knife and he said that he would hurt my family!"

"No one's angry at you," Varric said firmly.

"Where's the criminal?" Emma asked, blunt and to the point.

"Kelder? Oh, he's around somewhere," Lia gestured vaguely behind her.

"How did you get away from him?" Fenris asked, looking impressed for once.

"He let me go," Lia admitted. "I don't know why and I didn't stay long enough for him to change his mind. I tried to make it to the entrance but I have no weapon and no idea how to fight. I was hiding when those creatures showed up."

"Hiding by sitting in the middle of the corridor in plain sight," Varric said, unimpressed. "You've got a ways to go, kid."

"I thought I heard Kelder calling for me. I almost went back to him but I didn't want to be eaten," Lia explained. "Maybe I didn't pick the best hiding place but I just froze."

"Why would you go back to him?" Fenris didn't understand this. "He wasn't your Master."

"Kelder…he hit me. He told me that I was worthless but I begged him to stop. I didn't think he would but he did and he started crying," Lia replied, sounding a little lost. "Don't you see? He didn't mean to hurt me. There are demons. They make him do these horrible things!"

"That's it," Anders said, looking incensed. "He's actively trying to blame mages. I don't care what else we hear; this man is going to die."

Emma was looking horrified. "And not only that! All of this talk about how he didn't mean to hurt her…this girl is so going to end up in an abusive relationship. Someone should really talk to her father about ridding her of those misconceptions. It doesn't matter if you don't think someone 'means' to hurt you or not. If they hurt you you need to stay away from them. It doesn't matter how badly you feel for them, it's still not a good situation for you to be in."

"I guess Emma can give good advice," Bethany said, stunned. Despite the many, many troublesome relationships her sister had had, none of them had actually lasted once things took a turn for the abusive (such as, say, her demon lover trying to possess one of them). "I wish Carver were here to see this. He'll never believe me."

"Someone should take this girl outside," Emma decided. "We don't want her coming with us and trying to convince us to spare this monster and it's too dangerous to go back alone. We don't want a mage to go off and have to talk to a templar so…Varric?"

"I'm on it," Varric said, nodding. He motioned for Lia to follow him. "Let's go."

"Why not me?" Fenris asked, insulted.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emma apologized. "Did you want to do it?"

"No," Fenris admitted. "But why didn't you think of me?"

"I didn't really think you'd be very good with children," Emma admitted. "You're not very good with people."

"Let's just go and kill this bastard," Anders growled.

Emma nodded. "Right, let's go."

After slaughtering whatever unfortunate creatures happened to be in their path, they eventually stumbled upon a bored-looking man sitting on the floor and wearing a cloth napkin on his head.

"I think this is our crazy guy," Anders announced unnecessarily.

"I knew that my father would eventually send somebody," the man said quietly. "I was hoping that the beasts down here would get to me first."

"Are you saying that you want to die?" Bethany asked, shocked.

The man nodded. "Yes, I do. I-"

"That's good enough for me," Anders said before sending a wave of fire at the man.

"Anders!" Emma complained.

"What?" Anders asked innocently. "He said he wanted to die!"

"Yes but now I'll never get to ask him why he didn't just kill himself then," Emma pointed out.

"Cowardice, I suppose," Fenris answered.

"But we'll never know why he killed all of those elf children now," Bethany said.

Anders shrugged. "Who cares? He was crazy and now he's been stopped."

"The magister is going to kill us," Bethany said worriedly.

A glint appeared in Ander's eyes. "Not if we kill him first…"

Bethany wasn't sure whether he meant that or not but resolved to try and keep an eye on him in any event.

"Wow," Emma said, sounding shocked. "You know, something's just occurred to me. Something important."

"What is it?" Fenris asked.

"We've officially run out of things to do," Emma told him.

"Does this mean we're finally going on the expedition?" Bethany asked hopefully.

Emma nodded. "I guess so. Let's just not tell mother, okay? She'll work it out once we've been gone for a week or so…"


	16. The Party that Hates Itself

"I'm just saying that I can't believe we're really here doing this," Carver said, shocked. "I thought for sure that we'd have had to solve every problem in Kirkwall before Emma would just give in and let us go on this expedition which will ideally make us all rich and famous. But not too famous given all the apostates among us including both of my sisters."

"I don't care about all of the problems in Kirkwall, Carver," Emma reminded him. " Only those involving mages."

"Well I'm still shocked we haven't had to solve that whole mess before going," Carver retorted.

"Anders said it was best to lay low for awhile after that templar massacre," Emma explained.

Carver winced. "Don't tell me. Please."

"They deserved it for being templars," Anders said stubbornly.

"Why can't you be in love with Fenris or something? Or Varric! Varric's sane!" Carver explained.

"Sorry, I'm only interested in dwarven women," Varric replied. "And besides, Bianca gets jealous."

"Bianca's not a dwarf," Carver pointed out.

"She's an honorary one," Varric insisted, glaring at him.

"And I can't be in love with Fenris," Emma said, wrinkling her nose. "He's…ew! Fenris!"

"I would be much more offended if Emma were not an absurdly magely mage," Fenris declared. "Or if, of course, I cared what other people thought."

"Why must you be such a tit, Carver?" Aveline asked tiredly. "I mean, really. Why? Do you just get off on it or something?"

"Not as much as you must enjoy accusing me of being one every time I take a breath!" Carver snapped back. "Why does everybody here hate me?"

"I don't hate you," Merrill said loyally.

"I wouldn't take it personally," Isabela advised with a shrug. "Who here actually likes each other?"

"I like Bethany and Anders and Varric and you," Emma announced. "Everyone else can die for all I care."

"And I'm her brother," Carver said, shaking his head mournfully.

"Let's go around talking about who we hate!" Anders said enthusiastically. "I'm sure that will bring us closer together. And if not I can complain about people that I hate and have more reason to hate whoever hates me!"

"I'm not so sure that this is the best-" Carver began.

"I'll start," Anders began. "I hate Fenris because he was once a slave but he hates mages nonetheless even though being a slave is exactly like being a mage except I'm sure that being a mage is actually worse. And I'm really wondering if he even deserves to be free if he hates mages that much. I hate Merrill because she is a filthy blood mage and so, of course, evil. I hate Carver because he always tries to stop me from helping mages-"

"Only when you're being insane about it!" Carver objected.

Emma glared at him. "You'll get your turn."

"And I think he might secretly be on the templars' side. I hate Aveline because as a guardswoman she is a part of the system that oppresses mages. I hate Sebastian because he's Sebastian. Emma?"

"Pretty much what you said for why you said it," Emma said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I swear, I'm not just saying that because it's you and I want to sleep with you. I really feel the same way."

Bethany nudged her and looked pointedly at Carver.

Emma sighed. "Except I suppose I can't really hate Carver because he's my brother. But I do not like him, not one bit. Bethany?"

"I…I don't really hate anyone," Bethany said quietly. "I mean, maybe Sebastian but come on."

"You're too polite. It's going to get you in trouble one day," Emma said cautiously.

"I highly doubt that," Carver said dryly.

"What if one day a templar says 'May I please assault and murder you?'" Anders demanded. "And Bethany might think it would be rude to refuse and so let him!"

"I really wouldn't," Bethany said uncomfortably. "Can we just move on?"

"I'll go next," Merrill said, diverting attention away from Bethany. "I don't really hate anyone. I don't even hate Sebastian although if I never saw him again it would be too soon. I don't feel that I know any of you enough to hate and I try not to judge."

"Isn't it just like a blood mage to respect everybody and refuse to hate them?" Anders said disgustedly.

"Blondie, you should probably pick a different target to exemplify why you hate blood mages," Varric advised.

"Why? Because she's one of us?" Anders demanded.

"Oh, you'll figure it out," Varric said vaguely. "Or, you know, not."

"Who do you hate?" Anders asked him.

"Choir Boy," Varric said promptly. "But aside from him, none of you. You're all too damn entertaining if a bit costly. Rivaini?"

"Sebastian. I'm not sure I'd even want to sleep with him," Isabela said. "I'm not too fond of qunari, either, and so I'm a little wary of Fenris but if he were to sleep with me then that would all go away."

"Yes! Isabela's on my side!" Anders cheered.

"Not really what I said…" Isabela murmured.

"I hate Carver because he is a tit. I hate Emma because she killed my husband. I hate Sebastian because…well, I do. And I am most severely displeased with the rest of you for being such blatant law-breakers," Aveline sniffed.

"I'm not a law-breaker!" Carver protested.

"That might be more convincing if you weren't standing here with your two apostate sisters," Aveline said pointedly.

"And that might be more convincing if you weren't just as well-aware of their presence as I was," Carver countered. "I don't see you running off to tell the templars or make an arrest."

"Carver! What are you doing?" Bethany hissed.

Carver remembered himself. "And…that's great. Absolutely great. Never change."

"I hate all of the mages for being mages but Bethany is the most tolerable because she is not a blood mage or an insane revolutionary…that I know of," Fenris said, peering suspiciously at Bethany. "And I think that might be all the hate I have room for."

"What about Sebastian?" Emma asked, surprised and not at all offended.

"I thought that that went without saying," Fenris answered.

"That just leaves you, Carver," Anders said reluctantly. "I don't really care but since everybody else got their turn then I suppose it's only fair that you get one, too."

"Oh now he cares about fairness," Carver muttered. "I'm not positive but I think that right now I hate you all. Especially Sebastian."

"See, this is why he's such a tit," Aveline said, satisfied.

"Varric, can you tell your friends to get out of the way? They're really crowding me," Bartrand requested.

Varric started. "Oh, right. Emma, if you would do the honors?"

"Hi, you might remember me. I'm Emma Hawke. Can I join your expedition?" Emma asked hopefully.

Bartrand frowned and stroked his mustache. "I'm torn between not remembering you and pointing out that I already told you no."

"What if I had fifty galleons and a map of the Deep Roads?" Emma asked.

"Welcome aboard, partner!" Bartrand said, beaming. "We leave in twenty minutes."

"Damn," Bethany swore.

"Huh? But I thought you wanted to go. And it really isn't like you to use that kind of language…" Emma said, concerned.

"Who told Mother we would be here?" Bethany asked anxiously.

"Um…just give us a few minutes," Emma requested.

"We leave in twenty minutes," Bartrand said flatly.

The three Hawke siblings hurried over to their mother. She did not look happy.

"And just when were you planning on telling me that you three were going into the Deep Roads for weeks on end and probably going to die down there or become tainted ghouls?" Leandra demanded, her hands on her hips. "After you got back? If you got back."

"How did you find out?" Emma asked nervously, avoiding the question.

"Aveline told me. She's quite conscientious that one," Leandra replied.

Carver turned to glare at her. "Oh, and I'm the tit."

"Emma, you're my favorite whenever I'm not busy blaming you for all of our misfortunes so you can do what you like. Besides, I trust that you can take care of yourself. Your siblings on the other hand…Frankly, I'm amazed that I let them leave the house sometimes. I have next to no faith in them. Please tell me you're not going to take them with you. They'll probably start licking the walls or something," Leandra said, shuddering.

"Oh come on!" Carver protested. "No one's that stupid."

"You really need to let us grow up, Mother," Bethany said, annoyed.

"So are you taking them?" Leandra asked, ignoring her children.

"Well, I'm not taking Carver because he annoys me and I can't stand the thought of being trapped underground for weeks on end with him of all people," Emma assured her. "In fact, if it weren't for the fact that I want all the credit for this success I'd stay behind with Bethany and make him go by himself."

"If you don't let me go then I am so running off to join the templars," Carver threatened.

"Yeah, that's great," Emma said, not really listening. "But I have to take Bethany! I need her!"

"Well I'd rather have Bethany safe with me than Carver. He's my least favorite, you know," Leandra confided.

"Why does the universe hate me?" Carver wondered. "Is it because I'm not crazy enough for them?"

"Hm…I don't know," Emma said slowly. "What do you think, Bethany?"

"I want to go!" Bethany said firmly.

"I'm sure you do," Emma agreed. She tilted her head. "I'm really not sure why, though. I mean, it's seriously going to suck and even if you don't go you'll get the money anyway. I know that if I didn't have to go-"

"You mean if you weren't out for the glory," Carver muttered.

"If I didn't have to go," Emma repeated, "then I wouldn't. I'm sorry, Bethany, but now that I think on it I really don't want you to have to go through such a harrowing experience. I mean, I'm claustrophobic and everything so this will be absolutely awful for me."

"And yet you can't stay at home," Bethany said crossly.

Emma shook her head sadly. "Oh, if only."

"Why is this even up to you anyway?" Bethany demanded. "Why can't Carver and I come along anyway? We're both adults."

"Yes," Emma agreed. "But Bartrand doesn't want anybody else on the expedition at all. He's only taking me and the people I select because he needs a map and more money since he fired all of his ex-partners or something."

"I think one of them mentioned that Bartrand left him to die in a cave," Carver said helpfully.

Emma nodded. "Right, that. So if I tell him I don't want you two along then he's not going to let you two along."

"But without you I might get noticed by a templar and dragged off to the Circle!" Bethany said worriedly.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Leandra hastened to assure her. "I mean, you couldn't stay by Emma's side for the rest of your life, could you?"

"I actually think that's less likely to happen without Emma here," Carver opined.

"Shut up, Carver," Emma said, annoyed. "Listen, my mind is made up and nothing is going to change it and so I really have to go. I'll see you both when I get back."

\----

"No, this can't be right," Cassandra interrupted Varric's tale. "The Champion came to Kirkwall with her apostate sister to spread subversive teachings about the Chantry. She is a genuine threat to the well-being of all of Thedas!"

"I know some people who would agree with you," Varric said easily. "There were times I wondered about Emma as well."

"And yet you claim that she was this…this…"Cassandra couldn't seem to find the word she was looking for.

"Spaz?" Varric suggested helpfully.

"Yes!" Cassandra exclaimed. "What is wrong with her?"

"I honestly don't know," Varric admitted. "At least Anders had the excuse that he was possessed."

"So she just happened to have dealings with the qunari, a rebel possessed iconoclastic Warden, a blood mage, a known raider, and the prince of Starkhaven…you're telling me that this was all for coin?" Cassandra couldn't believe it.

"Well, in Isabela and Anders' case it was mostly about the sex," Varric corrected. "But other than that…Pretty much, yeah. But it's not quite so simple as you think. No one starts off blowing up Chantry's. I have it on good authority that if a certain Warden Commander wouldn't have taken away a certain cat and recruited a certain templar than none of this would have happened."

"You seek to blame Commander Fayle Fahlgai?" Cassandra couldn't believe it. "Do I need to remind you of what your friend did? Perhaps the Commander was right about him. You cannot sit there and tell me that he is innocent! Or she for that matter!"

Varric thought about it. "Anders…no, not really. I guess. It's hard to determine blame with possession. And as for Emma…well, you'll see."

"She must have known. Somehow the Champion must have known what was down there, what would happen…" Cassandra trailed off.

"What, just because she's a mage she's supposed to be psychic now?" Varric demanded. "That's the kind of thing Anders would have tried to kill you for."

"If you claim she did not know then tell me: what did happen on that expedition?" Cassandra asked seriously.

"Well, we entered the Deep Roads as planned but we didn't get very far," Varric said, resuming his tale.

\----

"I still don't understand why you took Daisy and the Elf instead of Blondie," Varric told her as they trudged along a few days later. Bartrand had only allowed her to take two of her companions though Varric was going anyway.

"Simple. I like Anders and I don't like Fenris or Merrill," Emma replied.

"I'm…still not getting it," Varric admitted.

"Living underground is awful. I hate it. I don't understand the people of Orzammar," Emma explained.

"Between the two of us, I don't either," Varric confided.

"And I figure that if he doesn't have to be here then why would I make him suffer when I can bring people that I truly dislike?" Emma asked logically.

"Because then you have to suffer their company during this great trial?" Varric suggested.

Emma shrugged. "Worth it."

"Why not bring Choir Boy then?" Varric asked.

Emma snorted. "Not that worth it."

"Why do you think we hate him so much?" Varric asked. "I mean…all of us. We all agree. That's just not normal."

"I don't know," Emma replied. "It's just…something about him rubs me the wrong way."

"And everyone else as well apparently," Varric said wryly. "Wait, why are we stopping?"

"There's been a collapse," one of the dwarven scouts said apologetically. "The way forward is blocked."

"What?" Bartrand cried out. He turned to glare at Emma. "Your map sucks."

"Hey, it's not my fault there was a cave-in after the map was created!" Emma protested. "Let's just go around or something."

"We haven't found any way around," the scout said, wincing openly now. He was right to worry as Bartrand promptly punched him in the head and ordered that camp be set up.

"Um, hello. I know you don't know me but my name is Bodhan. My son Sandal is missing and I'm really worried. Can you lot go look for him?" a dwarf they didn't know asked, coming up to them.

"Wait a second, isn't your son the one who routinely survives being surrounded by large quantities of darkspawn and, what's more, actually kills them?" Varric asked.

Bodhan refused to look at him. "Now, I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Why can't you look for him yourself?" Fenris asked bluntly.

Bodhan gave him an 'are you kidding me' look. "I'm not a fighter. I'm not going in there."

"Of course we'll keep an eye out for your son," Merrill said kindly.

"What? Are we going in there or something?" Emma asked, surprised.

Varric shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, somebody has to find us a way out of here and if we're going to wait for my brother then we'd might as well give up and go home now."


	17. Left to Die

"Is it just me or is the fact that we're the ones who provided the necessary funds for the expeditions, provided the necessary maps for the expedition, and now are finding the necessary way past the cave-in which, despite vile accusations, is not our fault," Emma said vehemently as they walked along searching for another way through to where they needed to go.

"Um…That sentence started out as a question but you never actually asked one," Merrill pointed out.

Emma blinked. "Did it? Huh. I'm just sort of getting the feeling that Bartrand is a lazy freeloader like Carver. No offense, Varric."

Varric shrugged indifferently. "None taken. My brother is what he is. But it's been at least three months since he last tried to kill me so I believe that we are making progress."

"I don't think Carver is a lazy freeloader," Merrill said loyally.

"But you're a blood mage so your opinion doesn't count," Fenris said bluntly.

Emma nodded. "When you're right, you're right. Hey, Varric, did we just go around in a huge circle?"

"I should think not!" Varric exclaimed indignantly.

"Naturally," Fenris said dryly. "If you had thought we were going around in circles then we would not have been going around in circles now would we? As this is your expedition and you're not a mage, I highly doubt you would intentionally sabotage yourself."

"No, I mean that we're not going around in circles," Varric insisted. "I'm sure of it. Stone sense and whatnot."

"Dwarves always use stone sense as an excuse for everything," Emma complained. I'm starting to think that it doesn't actually exist."

"It's really not so strange," Varric told her. "It only kicks in underground and it allows us to be able to keep track of time and to not get lost."

"Are you sure yours is working right?" Merrill asked uncertainly.

"Just because I was born on the surface is no reason for you to go around making assumptions," Varric said, crossing his arms. "My stone sense works just fine."

"Well if we're not lost then tell me why we're coming across all these dead darkspawn," Emma challenged.

Varric glanced down at them. "I…don't know. But we're still not lost."

"I think someone's in denial," Emma whispered loudly with absolutely no trace of irony.

"Oh look, a dwarf!" Merrill exclaimed, pointing to a blonde dwarf with his back to them. "Do you think he's the one we've been looking for?"

"We've been looking for a dwarf?" Emma asked blankly.

Fenris snorted. "Evidently you have not been."

As they approached the dwarf, he turned around. "Hello!" he greeted them brightly.

"Did you kill all of those darkspawn?" Emma asked, impressed.

"Sandal is the only one here," Fenris said disdainfully. "Of course he did."

Sandal held out an explosive device. "Boom."

"Not as useful as magic," Emma sniffed. "But I suppose that dwarves must make do."

"Some days I wonder how we even manage at all," Varric said wryly.

"I would do that, too, if I gave it any thought, I'm sure," Emma replied, completely serious.

"Am I the only one wondering about that?" Fenris demanded, gesturing towards a giant ogre completing frozen mid-charge just a few feet away.

"Why would we be?" Merrill asked, puzzled. "It seems like a simple ice spell."

"Dwarves aren't mages," Varric reminded them. "We were just talking about that."

Emma took out her staff and tapped Sandal once on both shoulders. "I dub you Sandal, the first dwarven mage. Or is that thee? It's probably thee. Bethany would know."

"You can't just do that!" Fenris cried out, scandalized.

"And yet somehow I just did," Emma noted idly, inspecting her fingernails.

"We're not done yet," Varric said grimly. "Sandal, we've cleared a path back to camp and even if we hadn't then I'm sure you'd be fine. Head back there while we keep looking."

Emma groaned. "This is so tedious. Carver is such an ass for not being here."

"But…he wanted to be and you wouldn't let him," Merrill tried to remind her.

Emma appeared not to hear that. "This wealth had better be fabulous or I will start killing people."

Varric glanced at Fenris. "You have nothing to say about this?"

"Why would I?" Fenris asked, surprised. "They invited a mage along; they have only themselves to blame. I'm a big believer in personal responsibility."

\----

"Yes, Emma, I am absolutely positive that that giant dragon was not an Archdemon," Varric said tiredly.

"I agree," a man in a Grey Warden tunic said, appearing out of nowhere. He had two minions also wearing Grey Warden garb and standing right behind him.

"Okay, who are you?" Fenris demanded.

"And why are you here if not for an Archdemon?" Emma challenged.

"I'm not even going to tell you who we are aside from Grey Wardens," the Grey Warden began. And as for what I'm doing…I can't tell you that, either, but I promise that we're absolutely not, under any circumstances, trying to increase the intelligence of darkspawn so that we may talk to them. And maybe, if we have time and remember, try to find out how to stop the Blights. Apparently their last suggestion of tainting the Old Gods with Grey Warden blood doesn't work and actually just starts a Blight. Who knew?"

Varric just stared at them. "You people really suck, don't you? No wonder Blondie ran away."

"What?" the Grey Warden asked innocently. "I said that that was what we weren't doing."

"I'm sure," Varric said sarcastically.

"And if by 'Blondie' you mean the Ferelden Warden Anders-" the Grey Warden started to say.

"Okay, that's just creepy," Fenris muttered.

"Then you've got that all wrong," the Grey Warden assured them. "He left because of the Templar who became a Warden and his partner who made it his mission to stalk him everywhere and to kill him at the slightest provocation. He's the brother of some other Templar that Anders allegedly killed."

"That's worse than we thought," Merrill told him flatly.

"I'm still not sympathetic," Fenris claimed. "Although I'm getting a little closer. Varric's right; you people do suck."

The Grey Warden shrugged. "I don't know about that. I'm just trying to be accurate."

"Why are you even here?" Emma asked, mystified.

"You asked about the Archdemon and it's our policy to show up whenever anyone does," the Grey Warden explained. "It's like a dog whistle for Wardens."

"I miss Loghain…" Emma said mournfully. "If only I weren't too kind to take him with me to this hellhole..."

"Maybe if you didn't waste all your time doing that then you might stop being so useless," Varric hinted. "Although given the kinds of things you guys apparently get up to when you're not being useless, maybe you should just forget that I said anything…"

"To answer your question, that was not an Archdemon or else the darkspawn would be far more organized and ferocious. And also when you, a non-Grey Warden, killed it – whichever one of you did that – then it would…" the Grey Warden trailed off and coughed. "Um…I've got to go." He and his two followers quickly hurried away.

"…What was that?" Emma demanded.

"I don't know," Varric said, shaking his head. "But I think we've slaughtered our way to a new passage. Let's go see if Bartrand is actually, if probably accidentally, grateful for a minute."

\----

As it happened, he was not. Far from it.

"This route is terrible," Bartrand complained. "There are so many corpses everywhere and we have to do a lot more walking than I thought."

"It's either corpses or darkspawn," Varric said flatly. "And of course there's more walking! We had to go around the initial passage."

"Yes but still, this is awful. And I still blame you," Bartrand announced.

"I honestly don't know what he would do without me," Varric confided. "Take responsibility for his own messes for a change or accept the possibility that some things just are and aren't anybody's fault?"

"Maker forbid," Emma said, shuddering.

"Is this…we've made it to the Thaig!" Bartrand shouted, excitedly. "Varric, go explore it."

"Why can't you explore it?" Varric asked.

"I always like to be the closest one to the door," Bartrand explained. "But fine, if you won't be reasonable then I'll explore it with you. Everyone else, just sort of stand around being useless. It's what I pay you for, after all."

"He really does," Varric confided. "That's why I'm in charge of the finances."

"At least he's not expecting anything out of his useless men," Merrill said, trying to be positive. "That might not work out so well."

"You know," Varric said as they started going deeper into the Thaig, "as the leader of the expedition I would have expected you to be more, I don't know, curious about this kind of thing."

"Please," Bartrand scoffed. "I have people for that."

"Yes, he really does," Varric confirmed. "And he overpays them, too."

"This place is weird," Bartrand complained.

"Well, it is an entire week's worth underground," Emma pointed out. "And it's really old, too. What did you expect?"

"No, not that. I just don't see any statues of Paragons," Bartrand said, looking around as if hoping some would just miraculously appear if he kept searching.

"There aren't any statues of Paragons where we live so why is that so weird?" Varric wondered.

"Because underground dwarves always worship Paragons," Bartrand said as if it were obvious.

"But this is really old," Emma pointed out. "Maybe it was before Paragons."

"Dwarves have always worshipped Paragons," Bartrand claimed. "Our people don't change. Ever. We were probably put on this land – however that happened – already seeking out our first Paragon."

"I think you might be exaggerating," Varric said gently.

"I never exaggerate," Bartrand said firmly. "And nothing ever changes. Nothing!"

"Clearly it did or there would be Paragon statues," Fenris told him.

"These dwarves must be unique or something," Bartrand declared.

"I feel like we're talking but it's just not getting into that thick skull of his," Varric mused. "Oh well, let's keep going, see if we can find anything valuable."

"How will we know if it's valuable?" Merrill wondered.

"The older it is, the better. Some people are weirdly sentimental that way," Varric announced. "Especially scholars who want to learn as much about dead people as possible. It's weird, I know, but there you go. And, just to make life inconveniencing, the older something is the better it usually is as well."

They began to search the Thaig when Fenris found another passage.

"This must be to a Primeval Thaig…" Varric breathed. "Hey Bartrand, come check this out!"

"You could just say 'really old'," Emma told him. "If, you know, you weren't trying to be all pretentious. And I don't know how you can possibly tell that it's that old, either."

"Well I'm a writer, Emma," Varric explained. "I have difficulty phrasing something in a boring way like 'that really old Thaig' when I could spice it up by calling it a primeval Thaig. "

Grumbling, Bartrand followed them into the new area of the Thaig but stopped at the door. "Just in case."

"Why is there a primeval Thaig right next to a far less old Thaig?" Merrill wondered. "That just seems a little odd to me. And it's like the newer Thaig – not like that's saying much – just completely left the older Thaig alone."

Fenris shrugged. "Who understands dwarves?"

"Hey, I don't get this either," Varric told them.

"I sense lyrium!" Emma exclaimed excitedly.

"I think I do, too," Merrill confirmed.

Varric's eyes lit up. "Ooh, where?"

"Right over there," Emma said, pointing at this altar in the middle of the Thaig.

They hurried to approach it.

"Does anyone else get the feeling that this is not a good idea?" Fenris asked.

Emma reached out to touch it and it glowed an ominous red. "No, not really. Why?"

"I'm not surprised that you don't," Fenris muttered. "I've just heard enough stories about foolish travelers uncovering ancient treasures in the Deep Roads and accidentally releasing some sort of monster that kills them all or they get possessed and then they kill them all and it's just really not a good idea."

"You read too much," Emma said dismissively.

Fenris glared at her. "I told you I can't read."

"And I told you to ask me for lessons," Emma countered. "If you won't take me up on that then you have no one to blame but yourself and I don't have to feel sorry for you."

"Objects of great power and mystery are not to be trusted," Fenris continued, trying to get back on track and avoid a pointless argument with Emma. "And lyrium is associated with mages so it is to be trusted even less."

"You and your mages issues," Emma scoffed rolling her eyes.

"I have the facts on my side!" Fenris claimed. "And the fact it just glowed red is also really making me doubt that anything good can come of this."

"It's just a lyrium idol. I'm sure it will be fine," Emma said optimistically.

"Varric?" Fenris asked desperately.

Varric hesitated before finally shaking his head. "Sorry, kid. It's not that you don't make a good point – because you do – it's just that this looks like it is worth a lot of money."

Emma started stroking the idol. "Precious…"

"Perhaps we'd better get that away from her…" Varric said, frowning. He took the idol and tossed it to his brother.

"You can't just throw something that valuable!" Emma protested.

Bartrand barely caught it.

"See, it's fine," Varric said, unconcerned.

"You guys stay here," Bartrand told them. "I'm going to go leave you all to die." He began walking towards the door to the Thaig.

"Wait, don't do that!" Merrill protested.

"He always says that," Varric assured her.

"Does he always say that before trying to kill someone?" Fenris demanded. "Because he just shut us in."

"…As a matter of fact, yes, yes he does," Varric confirmed. His eyes widened in horror and he ran for the door. He pounded loudly on it. "Seriously, Bartrand, what is it this time? Did I not solve every problem you ever had fast enough?"

"No, I think you're solving the problem I had with splitting this obscene amount of money three ways just fine," Bartrand said maniacally.

"Bartrand, you're being an idiot!" Varric complained. "You know you can't get along without me. Everyone knows that. And, like you said, the idol is an obscene amount of money. And if you hadn't just shut us in and collected everything else from the Thaig then even a third of the money from everything would be more than what you're getting if you keep everything to yourself."

"…It's really more of the principle of the thing," Bartrand claimed.

"It's really more that the lyrium idol is evil," Fenris insisted. "Seeing as how within two minutes of touching it he betrayed us and left us in here to die for no good reason."

"Nah, I think that he was probably going to do that anyway," Varric told them. "But you may have a point about the timing. Normally Bartrand wouldn't have done anything until we had helped him lug everything back to the surface. That's why I never let him buy me a drink."

"Your family has problems," Emma said bluntly.

"It's nothing compared to some of the things that I've heard happened in Orzammar. I mean, just look at the recent election and the Aeducan travesty!" Varric exclaimed.

"I can't imagine it would be worse than this," Emma told him.

Varric snorted. "Trust me; those Aeducans would be lucky to have a brother like Bartrand."

"Not to interrupt your sibling comparisons," Merrill said, looking a little queasy. "But I'm finding that not having a way out is making me a little…uncomfortable. Can we maybe look for a way out?"

"We've been shut in here to die? What are the odds that there's going to even be another way out?" Fenris demanded.

"Well I think we should look for one before just automatically assuming that there is none and just dying," Emma announced.

Varric pointed to one of the walls. "There's a passage out of here right there."

"You can't possibly know that," Emma argued.

"Stone sense," Varric said smugly.

"That's still not even a thing," Emma complained.

"Would you rather accept that I have stone sense and that it is awesome or die here convinced that you're right?" Varric challenged.

Emma hesitated.

"You'd also die poor," Varric pointed out.

Emma beamed at him. "You're so clever, Varric! I wish I had stone sense like you!"

Varric smirked. "Thought so."


	18. Expedition's End

"I know that we've killed what must be every darkspawn and demon in this area," Emma complained, "but that doesn't mean that they need to start possessing rocks and coming at us that way! I mean, come on. Why can't we just not fight for a while?"

"You surprise me," Fenris told her. "I thought you loved fighting."

"Normally I do when my cause is just – which it always is – but I really just want to get back aboveground and be super rich," Emma explained. "And so all of this needless delay and rock-fighting is really annoying me."

Suddenly the possessed rocks they were fighting fell to the ground and a mysterious wind that came from nowhere assembled another rock creature.

"Stop!" the thing said in a low, demonic voice. "You have proven how strong you are and I would not see another one of these creatures harmed without need."

"They are just possessed rocks," Varric pointed out flatly. "And we're just disassembling them like you just did. How much 'harm' are we doing?"

"Maybe he means psychological harm," Merrill suggested.

"You really don't have a right to get all high and mighty with us," Emma said, glaring. She put her hands on her hips. "You're basically saying that the only reason you're going to stop the attacks is because you know that you won't be able to kill us. There's nothing about how it's wrong to randomly attack innocent spelunkers."

"You're still sticking to that story?" Fenris asked incredulously.

"I like being a spelunker," Emma sniffed.

"Does it really matter why I don't want these fights to keep going on?" the demon demanded. "You don't want to keep fighting these creatures and I don't want them to get hurt. It's a win-win situation."

"What are they?" Merrill inquired curiously.

"They feed off of the magical rocks," the demon replied. "And it consumes them so that all they can think of is feeding."

"So basically they're just a bunch of possessed lyrium addicts," Emma translated. "Wonderful."

"Calling them 'magical rocks' kind of makes you look stupid," Varric informed him.

Fenris' eyes narrowed accusingly. "You feed on them, don't you?"

"I do not want my feast to end," the demon conceded. "But what does that matter? This does not affect you at all."

"You're a demon and demons are evil," Fenris said flatly.

"Unlike Merrill, I actually agree with Fenris," Emma said, sounding a bit surprised.

"I don't like or trust demons!" Merrill protested.

"But you can't kill me," the demon protested. "The way out is blocked by a door that has a lock. In order to get out you will need to find the key and unlock the door and I know where the key is."

"Why aren't you trying to kill us?" Varric wondered. "I mean, I don't want you to, of course, but I'm still curious."

"I can't be bothered," the demon said simply.

"I hate demons and so I'm going to kill you," Emma announced, pointing her staff at him.

"B-but what about the locked door?" the demon demanded.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm a mage. I think that I can handle one locked door."

\----

They were racing along towards the exit (stopping briefly at the vault to grab more things to take with them and sell to make them all obscenely wealthy) when all of a sudden there was another mysterious wind.

"Damn," Varric swore.

The rock demon from before – probably – reformed and it was about twice as tall and glowing red.

"That is not good," Emma said, gulping. She then started running for shelter.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Fenris demanded.

"Don't mind me," she called back to them.

And sure enough they did not really have time to mind her because the demon starting attacking Merrill. When the demon was distracted, Emma stepped out from behind her hiding place and started shooting spells at her. When it did turn its attention to her she ran away and found another hiding spot until it was distracted.

By the time that that creature finally fell again, Emma was a little sweaty and out of breath and everyone else was severely injured.

"Give me a minute and I'll heal you," she promised. "I'm not as good as Anders is but since I'm here and he's not then you'll all simply have to make do."

"You're not possessed and he is so I suppose that's an improvement," Fenris said grudgingly. "If it were Anders and I wasn't stuck underground and didn't want my injuries to slow me down from getting back aboveground where I belong then I might refuse to be healed on principle."

"And I'm sure everyone would care so much," Emma replied. "Well…aside from the annoyance of you slowing us down."

"It wasn't very nice of you to keep running away and leaving us to be hit by the demon's attacks," Merrill said reprovingly.

Emma shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault you weren't all doing the same thing."

"If we were all doing the same thing then how could any of us hit him?" Varric wondered.

Emma shrugged. "That's easy. Just run and cast. Or run and shoot. Or run and…whatever it is that Fenris does but that looks suspiciously like casting."

"I am not a mage!" Fenris growled.

"Perhaps not," Emma said, reaching out her hand to heal him and watching the lyrium on his skin practically sizzle in response. "But your tattoos might be."

"How can tattoos be mages?" Fenris snapped. "That's ridiculous."

"Tevinter is ridiculous, yes," Emma agreed. "Fortunately, none of us actually live there."

"I hate to say it, elf, but Emma might have a point," Varric mused.

Fenris shot him a skeptical look. "Emma never has a point."

"It doesn't really matter if you're actually magic or not because sometimes it looks like you can do magic and your average templar isn't really going to care to see the distinction," Varric told him.

Fenris was practically growling. "I can take your average templar and your above average templar, too. As I'm not a mage, they cannot render me helpless."

"They can't render me helpless either," Emma announced.

Fenris drew back, surprised. "They cannot dispel your magic."

"No, they can," Emma corrected him, shaking her head. "That just doesn't render me helpless. The last time a templar tried that I beat him to death with my staff. Those things are surprisingly heavy."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," Varric admitted. "So I'm going to settle for pleased that my friend and business partner is so self-sufficient."

Emma laughed. "Well, yeah. I mean, what, was I supposed to rely on Carver to protect me?"

"He was standing right there, wasn't he?" Varric asked knowingly.

Emma nodded. "Lecturing me about being more discrete about my hidden mage status in front of everyone."

"I really wish that, that rock demon being such a devastating opponent, he had something to loot besides those giant rocks he was made out of," Merrill said mournfully.

"I do, too," Emma agreed reluctantly. "To make up for this, let's grab all the treasure we can find. Also, kick a rock or two that you think might have made up his body but be careful because if you kick a rock too hard then that can really hurt."

"Such wisdom," Fenris groused.

\----

"Rock wraiths," Varric marveled as they started to walk up-hill and – hopefully – towards the surface, "are supposed to be dwarven legends. They're not even supposed to be real."

"I don't think telling them that will make a difference," Merrill offered.

"If only," Varric said wistfully. "I mean, can you imagine? 'I will destroy you!' 'Sorry, sir, but you're not actually supposed to exist.' And then…poof! It doesn't exist anymore."

" 'Poof'?" Fenris repeated, sounding disgusted.

"Yes," Varric said a little defensively. "Poof."

They stopped in front of a large door.

Emma tried the handle. "Yes, this is most definitely locked."

"Oh, if only we had dealt with that demon…" Varric said with mock-regret.

Fenris shuddered. "Don't even joke about such things!"

"Who's joking?" Varric asked innocently.

They walked for a few incredibly boring hours before finally making it back to the surface.

The first thing that Emma did was throw herself on the ground and start kissing it, causing everyone else to trip on her. Not that she let that bother her, of course. "Oh, beautiful surface! I will never ever under any circumstances leave you ever again! Ever!"

"Do you think you have enough 'ever's, Emma?" Fenris asked snidely.

"I'm not sure you should go around making those types of promises," Varric cautioned. "You never know what the future holds."

"I do," Emma said stubbornly. "It holds me not going back down to that hellhole ever again or any other hellhole like it."

"Yes, I know you feel that way now and that probably won't change," Varric allowed. "I don't much like the underground myself even if having stone sense is pretty sweet. Still, what if-"

"It won't," Emma insisted.

"But what if?" Varric pressed.

"Then someone is going to die and probably more than someone," Emma said, her eyes shining. She slowly climbed to her feet.

"…I'm scared," Merrill admitted.

"Probably for the best," Fenris told her.

"Do you think Bartrand is stupid enough to head back to the city?" Varric wondered.

"What's it matter?" Fenris asked him.

"I need to kill him, you see, so if he's here then it will make my task much easier," Varric explained.

"Bu why do you need to kill him?" Merrill asked, confused. "You said he tries to kill you all the time."

"He does," Varric admitted. "So in retrospect I probably should have seen this coming. I think he just misses Orzammar, personally. But this has been the most annoying attempt yet and so he must die. Besides, without you guys I might not have made it out in one piece."

"Since Bartrand expects you to be dead I don't see why he wouldn't stay," Emma opined.

"True but he's also very paranoid so I can see why he might not," Varric replied.

"If you need any help murdering your brother, I'd be glad to project and assist you," Emma offered.

Varric smirked. "I just bet you would. I'll let you know, I promise. I'm not Orzammar enough to relish the idea of killing him, believe it or not."

"So do we actually need to give our companions a share of the treasure?" Emma asked uncertainly. "I mean, my mother will definitely make me share with them but what about everyone else?"

"Well, no one else was a partner so I don't think they deserve as much as we're getting," Varric said slowly. "But Fenris and Merrill actually came with us and helped keep us alive so they deserve something even if no one else does."

Emma made a face. "But I don't like them. That's why I took them in the first place!"

"We're right here, you know," Merrill pointed out.

"She doesn't care," Fenris told her.

"So I guess if I have to pay them then I'll give everyone else the same amount even though they did absolutely nothing. But some of it has to come from your share, Varric, because I don't think we can be friends if you have more money than I do," Emma told him seriously.

"Did I ever say I wanted to be friends?" Varric asked curiously. He shook his head. "Still, I'm thinking of starting a series of books based on you and that would be easier if I hung around so…why not? I can't begin to tell you how wealthy we're going to be, especially if I either hold most of it back so as not to flood the market or flood the market and sell so quickly no one has time to realize I've flooded the market. But you go home, I'll settle all of that."

"Sounds good to me," Emma said cheerfully and promptly walked away leaving the other three to deal with whatever else needed to be done.

\----

When Emma got back to her house, she was horrified to spot three templars in the main room and Bethany dressed in mage robes.

She looked from the templars to her sister, aghast, and tried to decide which to address first.

"Bethany, what in the world are you wearing?" she finally demanded. "It's…it's hideous!"

"It's mage robes," Bethany said patiently.

"I know! Hideous!" Emma cried out, shielding her eyes.

"Well she's a mage and she's going to live at the Gallows from now on so she kind of has to wear it," one of the templars, Cullen, told her.

Emma's eyes narrowed and she summoned a giant fireball. "Are you saying that that's her slave outfit?"

"No, of course not. Just because we take mages away from their friends and families and lock them up in terrible conditions with an insane knight-commander that makes me – who was banished from the Ferelden Circle for being too hard-core – appear like the voice of moderation and reason is no reason to start throwing words like 'slavery' and 'prison' around," Cullen said disapprovingly. "You can still visit and everything."

Emma's fireball grew bigger. "Is that so? How very nice."

"I suspect that you don't mean that," one of the other templars told her suspiciously.

"Serah Hawke, please be advised that lighting templars on fire is a finable offense," Cullen cautioned her.

Emma momentarily brightened and the fire dissipated. "I could totally pay that now! Not that I would, of course, since I hate templars on principle. But I could. And you're not taking Bethany."

"Sister, please," Bethany pleaded. "Let's not have any more bloodshed."

" Any more bloodshed?" Emma asked, surprised. "I haven't even started yet!"

"And I can already see how it's going to end. Please just…let this happen," Bethany requested.

"How did this even happen? I've been gone for about a week! It took us a week to get down there but that shortcut was something else. Bartrand didn't know what he was doing when he left us to die…" Emma mused.

Bethany looked like she was going to ask but decided against it. "I don't know. I haven't even used any magic and you clearly summoned a fireball and yet no one seems to notice it."

"That's because Emma gets away with everything," Carver replied as he stepped into the room. In full templar regalia.

"I will stab you," Emma said flatly.

Carver winced. "Is now a bad time to mention that I'm joining the templars?"

"What the…but they're going to enslave Bethany! And I'm totally a mage, too!" Emma cried out.

Carver cast a nervous look at the templars but they appeared not to notice this confession. "Look, this has nothing to do with any of you. Well…it might have something to do with Aveline not letting me into the guard but aside from that…I just need to find myself and I couldn't find any Grey Wardens to join."

"Did you try mentioning the Archdemon? Apparently that's like a dog whistle for them," Emma confided.

Carver eyed her strangely. "No, I did not."

"I will never speak to you again if you do this," Emma threatened.

Carver rolled his eyes. "If I could only be so lucky. See, Mother? I knew she would judge me. I'm glad to leave."

"You don't mean that," Bethany chided. "You were fretting earlier that Emma wouldn't care what you did."

"Well she's still being annoying," Carver said, quickly rallying.

"Bethany, say the word and I will kill them all," Emma vowed.

Bethany moved forward and gave her sister a quick hug. "I know. But I guess that maybe I'm tired of running and I don't want you to have to be on the run because of me anymore."

"I'm just as much of a mage as you are," Emma pointed out.

"Yes but you're not like me," Bethany told her. "You're so much braver and stronger and equipped to handle life on the outside than I am."

"There can be no turning back once you do this," Emma warned.

Bethany smiled at her. "I think we both know that that's not true. If I say the word you'd storm that place to free me."

"I might do it anyway," Emma told her.

"Alright, let's hurry this up," Cullen said, sounding bored. "I'm on a tight schedule."

With that, the five of them – the templars and the twins – left the house.

"…I…What…What?" Emma demanded incoherently.

"This is all your fault," Leandra accused. "I told you you should have taken your siblings."


	19. Emma's Station

"So the Champion's brother became a templar while her sister became a Circle Mage," Cassandra mused. "I must confess that that is a strange time for him to be making that choice."

"Yeah, well, Carver was always a strange one," Varric replied. "Maybe he was trying to protect Bethany from the abuses of the Circle. Maybe he just wanted to stop being defined by his sisters. Who knows?"

"This is all starting to make sense now," Cassandra said slowly. "She never did like her brother, did she?"

"Well…no," Varric conceded. "But it's really not what you think."

"Oh no? It's a coincidence that all of these players just happened to join forces with her? We thought they all came from Ferelden together but now I see that it's motive and opportunity," Cassandra said hotly, pacing back and forth in the room.

Varric leaned back in his stone throne. "A lot of people came from Ferelden around then. There had just been a Blight, if you'll recall. And have you ever stopped to consider that maybe it wasn't just that all of these people destined to matter happened to join forces with Emma but that it was by joining forces with Emma that they came to matter?"

"No," Cassandra said bluntly.

"Isabela did what she did before she even met Emma so she would have been a catalyst regardless," Varric admitted. "But would Merrill have ever actually left her clan without someone to lead her to Kirkwall? Would Fenris have survived his master's trap without our help? Would Anders have stayed hidden from the templars? Would Aveline have ever been more than a lowly guard without us rooting out the corruption at the top? Would Sebastian have ever gotten off of his ass and done something about the men who killed his family? I know that I certainly wouldn't have concerned myself with this city's problems. I know it looks like Emma didn't really do anything but she did enable several key people to be in place."

"I disagree that it looks like Emma didn't really do anything!" Cassandra burst out.

"That's because you haven't heard the rest of the story," Varric pointed out.

Cassandra sighed. "Fine. Get on with it. Let's skip ahead, though, shall we? We're still six years before things went bad."

"Things were always bad," Varric told her. "And now we're three years until then. As I said, the treasure we found made us a fortune and we kept most of it for ourselves. Our companions really didn't use the money for much. Well…except Isabela. But I doubt you'll approve of what she spent it on so let's not discuss that. Emma's mother, Leandra, had successfully annoyed the viscount into giving her back her family estate in Hightown and Emma used some of the money to fix it back up. Emma had never exactly kept a low profile but now everyone knew who she was."

"I don't understand how she could become so famous and yet nobody realized that she was a mage," Cassandra said, shaking her head at the collective incompetence of everyone in Kirkwall.

"They might have. She did openly use magic and talk about being a mage," Varric told her.

"That doesn't make any sense. If they knew that she was a mage then why didn't they do anything?" Cassandra demanded.

Varric shrugged. "I'm sure I don't know. It worked out well for us. Leandra and Gamlen – as a condition of moving into the old Amell mansion with them – visited Bethany at least once a week but Emma never did."

"Why not?" Cassandra demanded. "The Champion appeared to love her sister and was distraught about her being taken. And later she-"

"We're really not there yet," Varric interrupted. "I don't know. Bethany was pretty peeved, too. I guess Emma just couldn't face her fear and hatred of a Circle even for her sister. Emma never visited Carver, either, but she really didn't need to. He could come and go as he pleased and according to him, templars had a lot of free time. Most of them amused themselves by tormenting mages but Carver would rather torment one mage in particular: Emma. She always used to complain that it was like he never left."

"And the qunari?" Cassandra demanded.

Varric made a face. "Ah, yes. Those poor 'shipwrecked' qunari. Three years later and they still weren't gone. To be fair, the viscount thought it would be horribly rude to ask them to leave and so they might have not realized they were no longer welcome. They wouldn't have left if they did know, though. It was actually a miracle that it took four years for things to erupt. Or perhaps that was just how long it took for the qunari to study us and devise a plan to destroy us. Fortunately, no amount of planning can account for someone like Emma…"

\----

Emma decided not to bother knocking or alerting the viscount and his employee – whatever he did and whoever he was – to her presence as she barged into the viscount's office.

"I know, I know. We really can't afford the qunari to be here on top of the growing tensions between mages and templars," the viscount was saying, shaking his head.

"If you want, I'll get a couple of my friends to completely slaughter all of the qunari for you," Emma volunteered. "They treat mages terribly."

"That's…very kind," the viscount said uncertainly. "I couldn't possibly authorize such a thing."

"If you would like to get into it on your own time and then leave no witnesses and deny any responsibility then we really can't stop you," the employee said pointedly.

Emma shrugged. "It was just a thought."

"Leave us," the viscount ordered.

Emma's eyes narrowed in clear offense. "Hey, you're the one who invited me here."

"Four hours ago," the employee muttered.

"I was taking a nap," Emma said virtuously.

"I didn't mean you," the viscount told her.

"Oh. That's okay then," Emma said, abashed.

"Meredith at my throat, Orsino at my heels, and a city scared of heretical giants," the viscount said wearily.

"I will pay you if you let me kill Meredith," Emma offered.

A tired chuckle. "I'll consider it."

"Aside from that, I fail to see how your problems affect me in the slightest," Emma said bluntly.

"What, don't you care if the qunari raze Kirkwall to the ground?" the viscount asked, shocked.

"Not really," Emma admitted. "I can take care of myself and kill anyone who comes after me. But anyone touches my beautiful mansion and I will destroy them."

"I'll keep this brief then," the viscount said, looking like he'd never seen anything quite like her. It was a look that Emma got a lot and so it didn't faze her in the slightest. "The Arishok is asking for you by name. What did you do?"

Emma shrugged. "No idea. I'm likely the only non-qunari whose name he knows. What does he want? And why should I care?"

"It seems you are meant to have influence above your station," the viscount said idly.

Emma's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? 'Above my station'? I live in freaking Hightown! I'm a damn noble! I may not be a member of the viscount's own family but how in the world am I getting 'above my station'?" She promptly held out her staff and lit the viscount's robes on fire.

"Ah! Put it out!" the viscount demanded.

"No," Emma said flatly, crossing her arms.

"Look, just…just talk to him, okay? And try not to make a mess of this," the viscount pleased before running from the room, likely to find something with which to put the fire out.

Emma beamed and turned to go herself. Her smile fell, however, when she saw who was waiting for her.

"Now Emma, you can't just light the viscount's robes on fire!" Carver exclaimed.

"I don't see why not, especially seeing as how I just did," Emma said stiffly. "Don't you ever have any work to do?"

"Surprisingly little," Carver informed her. "I already know how to handle a sword and it doesn't take three years to learn how to smite a mage. So are you going to do what the viscount asked?"

"Eventually. Maybe," Emma replied. "First I suppose I should go see what everyone has been up to. It's been three years for some of them, after all. And I might even think about visiting Bethany."

Carver groaned. "That 'above your station' comment really got to you, didn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma said innocently.

She exited the viscount's office in time to see a dwarf running up the stairs to see her.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" he exclaimed.

"Who are you?" Emma asked, nonplussed.

"I'm Bodhan," Bodhan introduced. "I'm Sandal's father."

"Oh, Sandal, right!" Emma said, brightening. "The first dwarven mage."

"I…what?" Bodhan asked, lost.

"Just go with it," Carver advised. "You really shouldn't let the templars hear that, though."

"The templars notice nothing," Emma said confidently.

"I've been looking for you ever since I heard you was alive," Bodhan said, trying to catch his breath. "If only you humans didn't all look the same."

"You've spent the last three years looking?" Carver asked skeptically. "Why didn't you just ask somebody? We have a mansion in Highever and everything."

"I have a mansion," Emma said, glaring at Carver. "The fact you sleep in it every night is irrelevant."

Carver ignored her. "And how do we 'all look the same'? We're just a little taller than dwarves and typically don't have as ornate beards but aside from that we really don't look all that different."

"No, really, you look nothing like us," Bodhan insisted. "And I'm finding that statement a little racist, to be honest."

Carver rolled his eyes and decided to let it go. "Why were you looking for Emma, anyway?"

"Well, I'm kind of homeless so do you mind if Sandal and I move into your mansion as well? I'll, um, serve you or whatever," Bodhan offered.

"You can't just randomly come up to someone you barely know after three years and ask to live with them!" Carver cried, scandalized.

"If you can stay with us then someone who is not a templar can stay with us," Emma said frostily. "Tell you what…you find out where I live and you can move in."

"Thank you!" Bodhan cried, bowing to her, before running off.

"Well, at least there's a good chance that they'll never find it," Carver said optimistically.

"You're horrible," Emma accused.

The pair headed home to find their mother waiting for them.

"Welcome home, Emma!" Leandra said warmly.

"I'm here, too," Carver pointed out.

Leandra ignored him. "How did your meeting with the viscount go?"

"Horrible. He's awful. Reminds me of Carver," Emma sulked.

"I'm sorry, dear," Leandra said sympathetically.

"Hey!" Carver objected.

"Aveline's here," Leandra told them, gesturing towards the captain of the guard.

Carver groaned. "Oh, joy."

"Hang on, I have to change into my 'I'm a noble now so suck it' outfit," Emma said, holding up a finger and running off.

"So…" Aveline said awkwardly. "You still a tit?"

"Fuck off, Aveline," Carver snapped.

"I'll take that as a yes," Aveline said delicately.

They lapsed into a hostile silence as they waited for Emma to come back down.

An hour and a half later, Emma reappeared.

"Sorry," she said half-heartedly. "I fell asleep again."

"I'm starting to suspect you have a problem," Carver told her seriously. "A sleep problem, that is."

"Oh, no," Emma waved him off. "These beds are just insanely comfortable. Probably why you mooch off of us instead of staying with the other templars."

"No, I do that because they all have bunk-beds and I'm not twelve anymore," Carver retorted. "Besides, you donated a really comfortable bed to 'Bethany's room at the tower.' You didn't get me anything."

"I didn't need to," Emma argued. "But anyway, Aveline, what did you want?"

"So I haven't really seen you for three years," Aveline told her.

"We've been busy becoming fabulously wealthy and just fabulous in general," Emma explained.

"Since I don't like either of you I have been rather enjoying this reprieve," Aveline said wistfully. "Unfortunately, I need something done."

"Does it involve mages?" Emma asked immediately.

"…It's possible," Aveline said slowly. "This is Kirkwall, though, so pretty much everything involves mages. There's this templar, Emeric, I think you might have met him. He thinks that just because there's a bunch of random murders of women all done in the exact same way each with a different body part missing and there's the exact same story about their final days according to their family and friends that these murders are somehow connected."

"Imagine that," Carver muttered sarcastically.

"If you could go humor him or shut him up or something, just to give him someone new to bother, then that would be most appreciated," Aveline told them.

"You are terrible at your job," Carver declared.

"And you're just jealous because you couldn't hack it as a guard so you had to become a templar," Aveline sniffed.

"She has a point," Emma told him.

"She does not! Guards just stand around all day and don't stop the crimes that go on right in front of them. Templars go up against demons," Carver reminded them.

"So will you do it? Kirkwall is a dangerous place and I have better things to do than investigate when someone turns up dead," Aveline said. "Unless they're someone important, of course."

Carver put his head in his hands.

Emma shrugged. "I guess. After all, with so many dead women there's bound to be a mage or two in there."

"Great. Bye," Aveline said before quickly leaving.

"You've received ten letters since you left this morning," Leandra informed her.

Emma sighed. "Why does everyone keep pestering me? I'm thinking about burning them."

"How about I read them and summarize for you?" Carver suggested.

Emma shrugged. "Whatever. Just try not to be too annoying about it. I know that that's a difficult concept for you but remember, you volunteered for it so the least you can do is make an effort."

Carver went over and sat down at Emma's desk. He read through the letters for a few minutes. "Feynriel's mother admits that you were right and thanks you for saving her son."

"As well she should," Emma said haughtily. "I still hate her, though."

"She wants to meet with you in the Alienage. Feynriel sent a letter, too, saying he's having nightmares and wants to talk to you…for some reason. There's this apostate you helped escape who thinks that, though she is doing nothing to help others, you should do more and wants you to talk to a Mistress Selby by the docks," Carver continued.

"Don't be such a templar, Carver," Emma said absently. "Next letter?"

"This one's to you despite the fact that you weren't even there to deal with that blood mage at the Blooming Rose though she does thank you for saving her life and turning her over to the templars who won't let her leave her cell. At least they let her post letters?" Carver asked rhetorically.

Emma made a face. "I do not want credit for that!"

"Too bad," Carver said unsympathetically. "You've got a letter offering to help with your…male organs which you don't have. I have no idea. Does someone just randomly write letters trying to sell useless junk and send them to all nobles houses or something? The father of that girl you saved from that crazy not-mage thanks you for giving him justice and says that his daughter, like everyone else in Kirkwall who isn't me, was accepted into the guards. Aveline still manages to taunt me through other people, I see."

"Get over yourself, Carver," Emma advised.

"There's this guy trying to scam you from Starkhaven and I'm not even going to tell you about it as I'm sure it'll work on you," Carver said bluntly. "We've got a random letter from someone I don't actually remember knowing from Lothering and a letter from one of mother's friends that I'm sure she won't answer because now that she's a noble again she's doing her best to pretend that she was never in Lothering."

"Lothering?" Leandra asked, sticking her head over the railing. "Was that in Orlais?"

Loghain did his namesake proud and started barking up a storm.


	20. Romance

"It's strange living here again," Leandra mused. "My childhood home now owned by my child."

"Mother, it's been three years," Emma said pointedly. "When are you going to get used to the fact that we live here? And I'm not the one who put my name on the deed."

"True," Leandra admitted. "But I thought that would make it easier when I inevitably died so you wouldn't have to pay any death taxes."

"That's thoughtful," Emma said, smiling.

Carver winced. "I really wish you wouldn't talk that way, Mother."

"I don't see what's so depressing about discussing the fact that I've got one foot in the grave," Leandra said, puzzled.

Carver sighed. "Just…for me? Please?"

Leandra sighed as well. "Oh, alright. I've never understood you, you know."

"I know," Carver agreed. "I miss father."

"I feel like an Amell again," Leandra said happily.

Emma frowned. "You never actually stopped being an Amell just because you got married. You might have changed your last name but you can't stop being a part of your family. Trust me, I've spent years looking into how to kick Carver out of our family. There really is no way."

Leandra smiled at her. "You're so sweet, Emma."

Carver rolled his eyes.

"I just wish we could all be together as a family one more time," Leandra said, suddenly wistful. "You know, if Emma hadn't gotten Bethany taken to the Circle."

"I wasn't even there!" Emma protested.

"That's the point," Leandra said tightly.

"You're the one who wanted me to leave Carver and Bethany here," Emma reminded her.

Leandra stuck her nose in the air. "Lies and slander. But that reminds me, when I start trying to find you a suitable husband, dear, you won't mention the fact that you're an apostate mage, will you?"

Emma blinked innocently. "An apostate? Me?"

"Good girl," Leandra said approvingly.

"What about Carver?" Emma demanded. "I mean, I know he's Carver and all but we're rich now so I'm sure that somebody will want to marry him."

"He's dating that nice elf girl," Leandra said absently. "I never had much hopes for him anyway."

"Merrill?" Emma drew back, disgusted. "Ew!"

"Hey, you're hardly one to talk. You're dating that possessed apostate," Carver shot back.

Emma pouted. "I wish."

Carver couldn't suppress a startled laugh. "Really? You haven't managed to seal the deal yet? It's been three entire years, Emma. That's kind of pathetic."

"I'm working on it!" Emma cried out. "In fact, I'm going over there again to try right now!"

"If this does work for once, do me a favor and be quiet when you sneak him in here tonight," Carver requested. "I think I might actually have to go in tomorrow and I'd really rather not be woken up by the sound of my sister having sex. At all, really, but especially not with someone that I hate."

"You hate everyone I sleep with," Emma accused.

"You have the worst taste in me," Carver said, shrugging.

"You just can't stand for me to be happy!" Emma accused, storming for the door.

"There is a reason that I haven't turned her in to the templars yet, right?" Carver asked rhetorically. "I mean, aside from the fact that I honestly don't think they'd believe me."

\----

"Hello, Anders," Emma said brightly as she skipped into the room. "Do you want to have sex?"

"Hey, Emma. I'm having a lot of problems with templars lately," Anders complained, not seeming to hear that second part. "They were practically at my doorstep last night. I think that Varric needs to start bribing them more."

"I'll bring it up with him, I promise," Emma said earnestly. "Or you could just move in. If we have room for my uncle and my useless brother then we most certainly have room for you. It would make it more convenient to have sex, you know."

"The knight-commander is getting worse," Anders said solemnly.

"Are you even listening to me?" Emma wondered.

"Of course I am. But these curfews that mages have? It's ridiculous! We should be allowed to stay out as late as we want and report back to the Circle when we're good and ready," Anders said, incensed. "And raiding mage families at midnight? Can't they pick a more sensible hour? Everyone I know has been forced into hiding for their own protection which is completely different than when they were in hiding before so that they wouldn't be taken to the Circle."

"You don't know any people that aren't mages?" Emma asked, surprised. "What about our companions?"

"I choose not to remember that I know them whenever I can help it," Anders explained. "At least you're a mage, too, so I don't have to worry about endangering you and the others can either take care of themselves or at the very least I don't care if they die. But I feel that you should know that I would drown us in blood to keep you safe."

Emma practically swooned. "You're so sweet! I would drown this entire city in blood to keep you safe. And chances are, you'll need the protection before I do. Justice and whatnot. I've been thinking…is he the reason that you won't get together with me? I know you want to because you say things like you'll drown us both in blood to protect me but then you never freaking do anything about it."

"Justice disapproves of the idea of us," Anders admitted.

"But…why?" Emma asked, distraught. "I mean, I'm the most pro-mage person I know besides you. What could he possibly have to object to?"

Anders shrugged and looked sheepish. "He actually just really doesn't approve of me doing anything that doesn't involve saving mages."

"Justice is kind of a buzz-kill," Emma grumbled.

Anders snorted. "Tell me about it. But it's not all bad. Angélique Amell – I think she might be a relative of yours, actually – recently sent Ser Pounce-a-lot here from Ferelden and even got Warden-Commander Fayle Fahlgai to write me an apology. He didn't mean a word of it, of course, but I appreciated it just the same."

"Is Angélique a mage?" Emma asked.

Anders replied with a question of his own. "Why do you think she's in Ferelden?"

Emma nodded in agreement. "That's very nice. And later I would love to meet Ser Pounce-a-lot. But let's get back to talking about us getting together."

"I don't think we were talking about that," Anders said, looking anywhere but at her.

"We should be. It's been three years, Anders. This is ridiculous. And I haven't even slept with someone in an entire month! What more do you want from me?" Emma demanded.

"I never asked you to wait for me," Anders said, sounding almost pained. "You don't want to be with me."

"Don't tell me what I do or do not want," Emma snapped, narrowing her eyes. "I get enough of that nonsense from everyone else and I do not need it from you."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Anders apologized. "But…you could have a normal life, Emma, and I never could. I'm an apostate."

"So am I," Emma reminded him. "The fact that the templars don't seem to have noticed is a good sign for you. If it wasn't for your healing you wouldn't be having any problems at all."

"I can't just give that up," Anders argued. "This place needs me."

"I'd never ask you to give it up," Emma insisted. "Just…let's try to have our normal life together in between you attempting to bring down the Chantry and me helping when I'm not busy doing other things, alright?"

"Don't tempt me," Anders said, but his resolve seemed to be weakening. "Not unless you're ready for what that means."

"Three years, Anders," was all Emma had to say.

"You've seen what I am but I'm still a man. You can't tease me like this and expect me to resist forever," Anders warned her.

Emma threw her hands up in the air. "Finally! We're getting somewhere!"

She was so busy feeling vindicated that she almost didn't notice Anders moving towards her until he kissed her.

"This will be a disaster," he predicted when he pulled back.

Emma was breathing heavily. "Way to kill the mood, Anders. It'll be fine. Assuming Justice doesn't talk you out of it, of course."

"It's long past the point of that," Anders promised. "I can't live without this. We could die tomorrow."

"Justice could kill us," Emma muttered.

"If you're with me we'll be hunted and hated forever," Anders informed her.

Emma shook her head. "You really don't need to get all melodramatic on me. I know what being an apostate means."

Anders looked skeptically at her but then shook his head. "If your door is open tonight then I will come to you. If it isn't then I'll know that you have taken my warning at last."

"Could you try to sound like maybe you have a preference one way or the other?" Emma asked, a little annoyed.

"I have to try to balance my own desires with your well-being," Anders informed her primly.

Emma groaned. "It's this kind of self-control that has taken us three years to get to this point! Listen, can't you just come with me now? I really, really want to jump you and I've never had to wait this long for anything in my entire life. It's really not fair."

"You have to have a chance to change your mind," Anders said firmly. "And I've got to talk Justice around anyway. I'll try not to get there too late but you really never know…"

Emma walked over to the clinic's wall and started banging her head against it.

\----

Emma came home just as the sun was beginning to set to find Carver waiting impatiently for her.

"Where in the world have you been?" he demanded. "I've been waiting for ages!"

Emma looked surprised. "Really? Ever since I left?"

"Well…I did get lunch with Merrill a few hours ago," Carver admitted, "but aside from that yes."

"You have really got to get a life, Carver," Emma said patronizingly. "You can't just follow after me forever. Why don't you look into getting a job or something?"

"I have a job," Carver said, gritting his teeth. "I'm training to be a templar, remember?"

Emma waved a hand. "Oh, that. I'm not sure I believe you, actually, since you're always here."

"I am not always here. You just never seem to notice when I'm not," Carver pointed out. He put a hand to his forehead. "So where were you all day? Surely trying to convince Anders couldn't have taken this long."

"Oh, it didn't," Emma replied. "It was difficult but I finally wore him down and he agreed to go out with me. He's actually coming over tonight assuming that Justice hasn't talked him out of it," Emma explained.

Carver winced. "Great. Just…great."

"What?" Emma asked, glaring at him. "This is my house. I can bring whoever I want to here."

"Of course you can but, as a templar and a sane person, I'm just not thrilled at having your possessed boyfriend here. You'd probably never forgive me if I had to save you from him," Carver replied.

"Probably not," Emma agreed. "But I hate Justice, too."

"Vengeance, more like," Carver muttered. "And why would you hate him? He's nice and fanatical about mages, just like you."

"I know but he also doesn't want Anders to sleep with me and has apparently been the force keeping us apart for three years so now he has earned my undying hatred," Emma said matter-of-factly.

"Not that there's anything even remotely healthy about dating a man possessed but is it really a good idea to hate half of the man you're going to date?" Carver inquired.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be," Emma said, seeming genuinely puzzled. "But anyway, after Anders agreed to come here tonight I went to the Hanged Man and Isabela and Varric and I celebrated for a few hours. Well…I celebrated. And Varric and Isabela brainstormed new book ideas, true, but they seem worried for some reason. Still, they were willing to drink the celebratory ale so that was alright. It would have been pathetic if I had had to drink it alone or even with strangers."

Emma turned to go upstairs.

"Wait, aren't you going to be down here to greet him?" Carver asked, taken aback.

Emma shook her head. "Nah. I'm going to light a fire in my room and then stare at the flames and imagine that it's templars burning instead of logs while I wait for him. You'll show him up, will you?"

Carver groaned at the thought of having to escort his sister's new boyfriend to her room so that they could keep him up by having sex.

Shockingly, Emma noticed his displeasure but – perhaps not so surprisingly – was wrong about the source. "Oh, don't worry," she said earnestly. "You weren't there at the time seeing as how you're never there. In fact, you might have even been right there along with us helping us burn the place to the ground. And complaining loudly but not actually doing anything about it, of course."

\----

Emma knew the moment Anders entered the house because he complained that Carver was the one opening the door. She ran to the ledge to watch him walk towards the stairs before quickly running back and tried to appear nonchalant as she leaned against the bedpost.

"You're here," she said, trying not to pounce on him. That might not go over well the first time and it was actually a minor miracle that he'd even come at all.

"Justice does not approve of my obsession with you," Anders said, smirking. "He believes you are a distraction."

Emma felt another flare of annoyance at the way that he was bringing up Justice yet again even now. Sure she knew that he was always there, probably always watching but…well, that was kind of creepy actually so she preferred to pretend otherwise. Still, obsession was good, right? He never actually acted like it but maybe now he would.

The only time an obsession could possibly be bad was if she lost interest and it had taken her three years thus far and he was so much like her that she doubted that would happen anytime soon. Or, she supposed, he could turn violent but she could take him so it would be fine. Justice was the more likely culprit anyway. It would be so inconveniencing to have to hurt Anders to defend herself if it ever came to that.

"It is one of the few things on which he and I disagree," Anders continued. He really needed to stop talking about Justice. If she hadn't been building this up so much in her head it would probably be killing the moment. Still, an active difference between Justice and Anders was a good thing, right? The only spirits from the Fade that she found attractive were desire demons and even they weren't nearly as alluring as they seemed to think they were.

"If you didn't come here then I would go out and find you and jump you wherever you happened to be," Emma announced.

Anders smiled at that. "I'm sure you would. I've never tried a proper relationship before, you know. It's so strange that it's taken all of this, the Grey Wardens, Kirkwall, Justice, before I did but here it is. In the Circle it was too dangerous to love. It was too dangerous to give the templars any power over you."

"The templars will never have any power over me," Emma said fiercely.

"I know and that's why I'm here," Anders said quietly. "It would kill me to lose you."

"Then don't," Emma said simply. "Andraste knows I don't have the sense to keep away from you…"

\----

"I love you," Anders told her afterwards. "I really should stay away from you because you deserve a normal life but…well, not that I'm blaming you but you really don't make that easy. And now that I'm finally here…I don't think I could bear to walk away."

Emma looked at him seriously. "It might be a little soon but…do you want to get married sometime?"

A panicked look entered Anders' eyes. "I've got to go."

"At least move in?" Emma asked hopefully as he headed towards the door.

Anders stopped. "This is a little soon…"

"We've known each other three years, Anders," Emma reminded him.

"And these past three years in Darktown have been pretty awful," Anders reasoned. "Alright, great. I'll move in tomorrow."

They heard banging coming from next door.

Anders looked questioning at her. "What-"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Carver. Some people have no respect for others…"


	21. A Maybe Murderer

"It's so nice to see all of you again," Emma said once everyone had been assembled in the courtyard leading to the Chantry.

"I saw you yesterday," Isabela pointed out.

Emma nodded. "That's because I like you. I haven't seen some of these people since I gave them their share of the treasure from that expedition."

"If you don't like us – and the feeling is more than mutual, I assure you-" Fenris started to say.

"I don't understand," Merrill interrupted. "How can something be more than mutual?"

"It's just a figure of speech," Fenris ground out.

"Well I don't like it," Merrill said.

"As I was saying," Fenris said disgustedly, "if we don't like each other, why are you making us accompany you on your various misadventures?"

"I'm not making you do anything," Emma countered.

"She's right," Carver agreed. He took a second to marvel at that before continuing, "Why are you still here, Fenris?"

"Danarius hasn't come back to try to kill me yet so I'm getting bored just squatting at his mansion," Fenris confessed. "I could try to move on with my life, I suppose, but frankly I'd rather do this. It's a nice mansion, anyway. Though, technically, it's not his mansion but some other Tevinter Magister's that he killed.

"Maybe he's given up," suggested Varric. "Would that really be so bad?"

Fenris considered it. "Surprisingly, yes."

"Why?" Carver asked incredulously.

Fenris shrugged sheepishly. "We all want to be wanted."

"Not by people like that for reasons like that," Carver disagreed.

"Says the man who is still sulking about not making it into the city guard," Fenris shot back.

"I am over there!" Carver cried out.

"I really wish you wouldn't wish for more disorder in the streets," Aveline said, sighing.

"Especially since you're not actually going to do anything about it," Carver muttered.

Fenris snorted. "Yes, definitely over it."

Aveline's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying, exactly?"

"I haven't noticed any increase in public safety since you took over. At least the other captain had his corruption to explain his inefficiency," Carver said accusingly.

"You have no idea what I'm up against here," Aveline bit out.

"Neither, evidently, do you," Carver said coolly. "And it can't help that you're constantly dropping everything to run off with us."

"Emma is looking into business of mine," Aveline said stiffly.

"Which, if I remember correctly, you assigned her so that you wouldn't have to do it," Carver said pointedly.

Aveline said nothing.

"To answer your question, Fenris, I'd like for you all to be here so killing things takes less time," Emma said belatedly. "Also, I kind of like complaining about you guys."

Varric nodded his head. "Ah, Schadenfreude."

"Is that some kind of dwarven word?" Isabela asked curiously.

Varric nodded again. "Noble caste, really. It means happiness at the misfortune of others."

"That's not very nice," Merrill said frowning.

"But not at all surprising," Carver added.

Emma wheeled on them. "That reminds me…Merrill, are you really dating my brother?"

Merrill blushed. "I…yes. Es I am."

"But why?" Emma demanded, absolutely flummoxed.

"I like your brother a great deal," Merrill said, her voice surprisingly steady.

Emma waved that off. "Evidently. I just mean…you're a Dalish, right?"

"Right…" Merrill confirmed, not knowing where Emma was going with that.

"You're all about preserving elven culture and restoring it to its former glory. You're inexplicably proud of being an elf and you're just going to throw all that away by shacking up with a human?" Emma cried out.

"Hey, I'm not trying to sabotage your relationship," Carver complained.

"I'm not dating a blood mage," Emma said virtuously.

Anders nodded his agreement.

"No, dating a possessed fanatic is so much better," Carver said sarcastically.

"I don't understand how dating a human is at odds with my Dalish pride," Merrill admitted.

"Any children you have with Carver will be human children. You will be contributing to the destruction of your people," Emma explained.

Carver started choking. "We are not even remotely there yet! And don't try to pin a future genocide on me!"

"The elven race won't go extinct if I have human children," Merrill said reasonably. "I'm just one person."

"It's thousands of elves feeling they won't matter that will ultimately doom your species," Emma warned.

"Stop it!" Carver ordered.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I don't really care if they do go extinct."

"Can we do what we came here for?" Anders requested. "Justice is crying for blood…"

Varric shuddered. "Good idea. The doing what we came here part, not the blood bit."

They quickly located Emeric and walked up to him.

"What?" he asked sourly. "Did you bring more people to laugh at me and call me crazy, Aveline?"

"That's not up to me," Aveline said simply.

"Before I even consider helping you, promise me that this won't even vaguely hurt mages," Emma instructed.

"I suspect one of the victims was a mage," Emeric told them.

"What can we do to stop this foul murderer?" Anders asked urgently.

"In my investigation, I encountered a man named Gascard DuPuis who I believe to be the murderer or an accomplice," Emeric confided.

"Why?" Varric inquired.

"Well, I found him standing over one of the bodies on four separate occasions and expressing his dissatisfaction that they had died too soon," Emeric replied. "He said it was just a coincidence but, well…"

"Wow. You'd have to be an idiot to believe that!" Isabela exclaimed.

"I believe it," Aveline said darkly.

"Oh, do you?" Isabela asked, vaguely.

"If you know all of this then why do you need us?" Emma asked.

"He took out a restraining order on me and Meredith threatened to fire me if I didn't drop it," Emeric admitted.

"If you were really dedicated-" Anders started to say.

"I really don't know what to do, even if I could keep going," Emeric admitted.

"We raided his house and found nothing," Aveline informed him.

"He got two days notice!" Emeric burst out.

"It's a common procedure for dealing with nobles," Aveline said, unabashed.

"At that will likely benefit us," Carver reasoned.

"Can you break into his house after dark tonight?" Emeric requested. "There should be less witnesses then."

"I don't know, the streets are almost more crowded at night with all of those criminals," Varric argued.

"Whose side are you on?" Aveline demanded.

Varric blinked. "The…side of acknowledging what happened?"

"Mine, then," Carver said smugly.

"Less reliable witnesses," Emeric amended. "Less living witnesses, even."

Varric smirked. "You know us too well."

"We'll do it," Emma agreed.

"Can you not discuss breaking and entering in front of the captain of the guard?" Aveline requested.

"Is that your way of saying you won't come with us?" Carver challenged.

Aveline just glared.

They turned to go and, when they were almost out of the area, they heard the thundering of footsteps on the steps.

"Emma!" Sebastian cried out.

Emma winced. "See, this is why I didn't want to come here."

"And the templars, right?" Merrill asked.

Emma shook her head. "Nah. I can take them."

"You haven't seen me in the past three years," Sebastian said, breathing hard, as he finally reached them. "None of you have."

"That's because we all hate you," Fenris said bluntly.

Sebastian laughed merrily. "Oh Fenris, how I've missed you."

Fenris' marks glared ominously.

Varric looked around nervously. "Not here."

"I thought that killing all of those members of the Flint mercenary company would bring me peace but it didn't," Sebastian said mournfully.

"I killed them. You couldn't be bothered," Fenris said pointedly.

"And we may never forgive you for it," Anders told him, annoyed.

"My vows prevented me from doing so myself, alas," Sebastian explained.

"You are such a hypocrite," Fenris spat.

Sebastian ignored that. "But now I found out that, after lord Harriman was violently and randomly killed three years ago, his jealous wife had my family killed because, despite the fact that she did not benefit from this in the slightest, she couldn't stand to know royalty."

"crazy bitch," Isabela said, shaking her head. "There are so many more benefits to being friends with royals than to killing them."

"Harriman…" Emma said slowly, tapping her chin. "That name seems strangely familiar…"

"That's the name of that noble who convinced the viscount to send aid to Ferelden after the Blight but you killed him anyway," Carver reminded her.

Emma blinked. "Did he really? I thought he was making things up. Huh."

"You really don't care, do you?" Carver asked rhetorically.

Emma shrugged. "It was three years ago."

"So wait…I have you to blame in part for the murder of my family?" Sebastian demanded, aghast.

"Join the club," Aveline said bitterly.

"Oh, don't pretend you really are about Starkhaven," Varric told him, annoyed. "It's been without a leader for three years while you've been messing around in the Chantry and they've had to turn to your idiot cousin."

"I cannot break my vows," Sebastian said flatly.

"You already broke them," Emma pointed out. "And Elthina won't let you retake them."

Everyone stared at her.

"What?" she asked defensively. "I pay attention sometimes."

"Your Maker would understand!" Varric exploded. "You have other responsibilities and you can do more as leader of Starkhaven then you can as a not-brother in the Chantry."

"I must protect the Grand Cleric," Sebastian insisted.

"She has her guards that are difficult but not impossible to get past," Anders spoke up. "And she's trying to get rid of you, too. But maybe she just doesn't like you, either. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest."

"Her guards didn't protect her from those evil books or the demons that came out of them," Sebastian sulked.

"…What goes on in that Chantry of yours?" Varric demanded, his eyes wide.

"I'm planning on invading the Harriman mansion and demanding answers," Sebastian announced. "It has occurred to me that this might turn violent. Will you guys come with me?"

"No," Emma said flatly.

"I will follow you around until you change your mind," Sebastian threatened.

"Okay, fine," Emma snapped. "But only if you go away now."

Sebastian smiled pleasantly at her. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to go."

\----

"So tell me, Aveline, is this legal?" Carver asked innocently later that night as they wandered through the DuPuis mansion. "This doesn't feel legal."

"I am not here in my capacity as head of the guard," Aveline declared, glaring at him.

"So when you're off-duty you're fine with turning into the very kind of criminal you're supposed to catch when you're on-duty?" Carver inquired. "Interesting…"

They walked into a room where a woman with a very annoying and high-pitched voice was on her knees and begging for help.

The man at the center of the room, presumably Gascard, turned around with fire in his eyes. The light faded as he took them in. "You're not the killer."

"No, that's you," Emma told him.

"I'm not the killer! The killer killed my sister a few years ago and I've been obsessively tracking him ever since. I even managed to figure out his next victim was this woman and abduct her myself to wait for him to show up," Gascard explained. "Unfortunately, I am really not good at this."

"I'll say," Aveline agreed. "And kidnapping is a crime."

Gascard raised an eyebrow. "How did you get into my house uninvited again?"

"Please continue," Aveline said respectfully.

Gascard nodded. "That's what I thought. He sends a bouquet of white lilies to each victim shortly before he abducts them because he's a narcissist who thinks he will never be caught. Alessa here was to be his next victim so I…interceded."

"Why not just keep an eye on her and follow him when he showed up so it would be less obvious this was a trap?" Carver suggested.

"…That might have been a better plan," Gascard continued. "But it's not like I've had years to plan this out! I mean…"

"He's lying! He hurt me!" Alessa wailed.

Instantly, the women of the party all had their weapons raised.

"He what?" Emma asked dangerously.

"Not like that, not like that!" Gascard insisted, waving his panicky hands. "I just gave her a paper cut."

"And it hurt!" Alessa cried out.

"I had no choice! In case you get away, I need to be able to track you later to try to save you from your killer!" Gascard insisted.

Alessa stumbled to her feet. "I don't believe you. I don't need to take any protective measures at all! And I'm just randomly going to run away now even though I tried nothing earlier and there are a whole lot more people to stop me if they're not on my side."

Gascard just watched her go. "Damn! She will ruin everything now by running to the city guards!"

"You did literally nothing to stop her," Varric pointed out.

"It all happened so fast," Gascard claimed.

"It really didn't," Varric told him.

"And trust me, if she's going to the guard then you'll be fine," Carver assured him. "I mean, you've got Guard Captain Aveline here with you right now and she's doing absolutely nothing."

"Even if that's true, I'm also a mage so Meredith would get involved and – whatever else you say about her – you can't claim she's incompetent," Gascard pointed out.

"Sure I can," Emma argued. "Just maybe not on the killing mages front."

"Can you prove you're not the killer?" Carver asked suspiciously.

"Carver, you heard that he's a mage," Anders reminded him.

Carver nodded. "So I did. I just don't have your faith that that makes him a good person. Besides, he's a blood mage."

"We really don't judge," Anders claimed.

"If I were the murderer then Alessa would have already been dead and I'd try to kill you now," Gascard claimed.

"Not if you didn't have time to kill her before we showed up and if you're not stupid enough to take on eight people by yourself," Carver told him.

"Well murderers are always stupid so I must be innocent," Gascard reasoned.

"He's got a point," Emma agreed.

Carver threw his hands in the air. "No he doesn't!"

"Look, are you going to kill me or not?" Gascard asked impatiently.

"We never kill mages. Ever," Emma declared.

"Fine then, I'm leaving," Gascard announced. "I'll be in Darktown if you discover anything. If you find any blood of a new victim then send it to me and I'll track her."

"Wait, why can't we work together? We have a much better chance of solving it that way and we both want the same thing," Emma pointed out.

"We could except that I don't want to," Gascard said casually. "You're right that that is a good idea but…well…Sorry, I'm trying to think of an excuse that doesn't involve me wanting to find my former master on my own and to beg him to take me back but I'm drawing a blank."

"What if we don't want to outright kill you but still don't want to just let you wander free because we still don't trust you?"Varric asked. "I mean, I'm not sure what it is but something about you seems…off."

Gascard shrugged. "Sorry, you must pick one or the other. I either get to walk out of here with no strings attached right now to possibly never be seen again and to do Maker knows what or you're going to have to kill me right now with very little provocation in my own house that you broke into. I won't even resist to make it look extra bad."

"The guard will never catch us," Carver said seriously.

"I guess we'll have to let you go, then," Varric said reluctantly. "You will make sure to keep an eye on Alessa and make sure she doesn't get herself killed since you took her blood, right? You may even be able to catch your sister's killer this way."

Gascard merely laughed and shook his head. "Oh, Alessa. I've decided that she's a lost cause. The moment she walked out of here her life was forfeit."

"But it was literally five minutes ago," Carver objected. "She can't possibly be dead yet. Abducted, perhaps, but not dead."

"She ran away from me when I was only trying to protect her even if I did not go about it in a remotely sane manner so she no longer deserves to live," Gascard said darkly. He then turned and strode from the room.

"I really don't feel good about this decisions…" Carver said worriedly.

"You're such a worrywart," Emma complained. "It'll be fine."


	22. Pathologically Early

Emma was eventually persuaded to go back and tell Emeric what they had found at Gascard's mansion. It helped that Aveline and Carver were for once on the same side even if neither of them actually acted like it during the course of the discussion.

"I don't see Emeric," Emma complained.

"Are you sure?" Anders asked her. "I mean, I can't tell since the minute someone puts on templar apparel they are immediately indistinguishable from anyone else in templar apparel, male or female. Perhaps you should try calling for him."

"That's a little sad, Blondie," Varric told him.

Anders nodded. "I agree. The faceless monsters that the Chantry calls 'templars' are truly horrific."

"That wasn't quite what I meant…" Varric murmured.

"Good idea," Emma said, nodding. "Emeric! Oh, Emeric!"

"Hey," a brunette female templar said, approaching them. "Are you Hawke?"

"My name is Emma not 'mage'," Emma said furiously, glaring at her.

The templar eyed her strangely. "I said 'Hawke' not 'mage'. But I'm going to take that as a yes. If you're looking for Emeric, which I assume you are because you keep shouting his name to the sky, then you should know that he's already left to meet you."

"But I'm not supposed to meet him anywhere," Emma said, confused.

"No, but you are," the templar assured her. She pulled a note out of her bag and handed it over to them. "See, this note came from you about half an hour ago."

Carver read it out loud. "Emeric, it is I, Hawke. Yes, really. This is in no way a trap. I have found all the answers you seek. I could go and tell you them in person but…actually I can't. For some reason. Really. Instead, I'm going to need you to meet me at midnight in that dark alley that is colloquially known as 'Assisted Suicide Lane' due to the obscenely high murder rate there and the common belief that anyone who willing goes there deserves what is coming to them. Don't tell anyone where you're going."

"I do not understand," Merrill said, frowning. "Why would he leave now? It's only half-past noon and the note said not to meet him for another eleven and a half hours."

"Emeric is almost pathologically obsessed with punctuality," the templar said, shrugging.

"I do not understand this either," Sebastian admitted. "If Emma arranged to meet with him at midnight, why did we come here to try to meet with him? It seems most unnecessary."

Fenris groaned. "Clearly that letter is a badly-done and obvious trap, probably because Emeric was onto something despite what the idiots surrounding him seemed to think."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," the templar denied. "Emeric has been acting strangely for months. It's probably just a misunderstanding."

Carver closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths. "Are you even listening to yourself? You have the note, supposedly from Emma, right there. It's very clear, albeit highly suspicious. What does Emeric's 'strange behavior' of trying to do his Maker-damned job have to do with anything? And how can you possibly dismiss this as a 'misunderstanding'?"

"It has to be a misunderstanding," the templar insisted. "Because the only other possibility is that he was right or something and that's just too far beyond the realm of believability to be considered."

"Finally, someone who speaks sense!" Aveline exclaimed, pleased.

"Oh, is that what happened?" Varric deadpanned. "Because it sounded an awful lot like the other thing."

"I am forced to agree that this note from me being sent asking Emeric to meet us somewhere when I did not, in fact, send any such note is highly suspicious," Emma said reluctantly. "Maybe I have to worry about identity theft now and wouldn't that be something? We should definitely be there at midnight to see what's going on."

"We could do that," Carver agreed. "Of course, since he's already left – presumably to go there – now then why not just go there now and ensure that no one gets the opportunity to kill him? I'm nearly positive that whoever set this trap, despite likely being the killer we're seeking, is not psychotic enough to want to show up twelve hours early."

"But what if Emeric isn't there?" Emma countered. "I don't want to wait there all day."

"But Emeric might die because of it," Carver protested. "Competent or not, I'm sure he's no match for whoever lured him there."

Anders shrugged. "So? He's a templar. This is probably the best outcome we could hope for."

Carver sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this but…Emma, I've heard rumors that the thugs that prey on people out on Assisted Suicide Alley are notorious mage haters."

Emma had taken off almost before he had finished that sentence.

\----

Emeric was already there when they arrived and it was a good thing that they showed up when they did, too, because there was a whole host of demons descending on him.

"Demons!" Emma hissed. "You were right, Carver." She shuddered as she realized what she had said. "Demons hate mages. Everyone knows that."

"They do?" Aveline asked, puzzled. "I would have thought they would like them since mages or the ones that they can make deals with and possess."

"They can actually do that to anyone," Emma revealed. "It's just that they prefer to do it with mages. The templars say it's because they want a more powerful host or whatever but I think we all know that the real reason is because demons hate mages."

Anders nodded. "They really do. And that's how I know that Justice is not a demon. Not that I've been wondering about this recently or anything."

"Have a moment of near self-awareness later," Fenris advised. "Kill these demons first!"

They did so and then Emeric (who had prudently gotten out of the way of the fighting since the others had it well in hand and he was clearly not in their league) came over to them.

"Thank the Maker you were here!" he said gratefully. "You are rather early, though."

"Not as early as you," Isabella pointed out.

Emeric shrugged. "It's kind of my thing. Now, your note said something about you knowing everything?"

"Actually, that wasn't my note," Emma explained.

Emeric frowned. "It wasn't your note? Then what…the murderer!"

"That kind of leaping to conclusions is most unprofessional, Ser Emeric," Aveline said reprovingly.

"But he's probably right," Carver protested.

"That is completely irrelevant," Aveline said dismissively.

"I must be on the right track," Emeric said, almost giddily. "What did you find at Gascard's?"

"Well…he says he isn't the murderer so Emma just sort of let him go," Carver confessed unhappily.

"That is most unfortunate," Emeric said, frowning.

"Especially since he did, in fact, have an abducted girl with him," Fenris added. "She's fine now, though. She ran off during the fight."

"But if he were the killer then why would he want me dead?" Emeric mused. "Killing me only makes himself look more suspicious since everyone knows I suspect him. Nobody else, not even you, believe that he's guilty anymore so it's really not necessary. Could someone be trying to frame him?"

"I don't know," Carver replied. "He did tell us that an easy way to predict the next victim would be to see if they receive white lilies as that's his calling card."

Emeric nodded. "Guard Captain, I think it would be a good idea to put out a warning that if anyone, particularly a woman, receives anonymous white lilies to be on their guard and not to go out alone because they might be next."

Varric nodded. "That makes a great deal of sense."

"Well I still think you're crazy so I'm going to reject your idea," Aveline said bluntly.

"Why do we even have guards if they're going to be this stupid and useless?" Carver asked rhetorically.

Aveline glared at him. "You're just jealous because you can't join the guards."

"Well…I was," Carver conceded. "You're doing wonders to get me passed that."

"This is disappointing but perhaps not surprising," Emeric said, sighing. "I'll try and spread the word where I can and I hope you will do the same. I'll send word to you should I find anything out."

"And no more meetings in Assisted Suicide Alley," Carver told him. "And don't trust any notes sent by 'us' because we always come in person."

Emeric actually smiled. "I was wondering about that…Thank you again."

Anders sighed heavily. "Well…we tried."

"We'll do better next time," Emma assured him.

"I really wish that you two would just act like normal people sometimes," Carver told them, shaking his head.

"I really do think that's a lost cause, Junior," Varric told him.

Anders glared at him. "And I wish that you would cease with the incessant anti-mage rhetoric but I guess we can't always get what we want."

"Maybe," Carver allowed, "but it would be nice to get what I want some of the time."

\----

"I'm so glad that you're finally going to visit me at my house!" Merrill said delightedly. "I was beginning to suspect that you didn't like me or something since you've never been there."

"Oh, Merrill, it's not like we don't like you!" Anders replied.

Carver drew back, shocked. "Wait, what?"

"No, you see, we actually hate you. Hate is much stronger than simple dislike," Anders clarified.

Carver relaxed. "Okay, that sounds more familiar. But seriously, you guys, try to be nicer to my girlfriend."

Emma was dragging her feet and looking around desperately for some way to get out of having to go visit Merrill's house. "Hey!" she cried out, her eyes lighting up. "I recognize her! I don't remember why but she seems like a terrible person to me. Does anyone know who she is?"

"Oh, I do," Merrill told them. "That's Arianni. We saved her human mage son Feynriel from slavers three years ago and now he lives with my old clan."

Emma looked torn now between going and talking to her and going to visit Merrill.

Carver sighed, knowing that a visit was probably not in Merrill's best interest. "She said that Feynriel needed our help in that letter she wrote, remember?"

"No," Emma answered honestly. "But I'm looking for a distraction so I'll take your word for it."

Merrill's face fell. "Looking for a distraction? But why?"

Emma ignored her and hurried over to Arianni. "So you said you had a problem?"

"I tried to visit my son among the People and he turned me away. I just know that the demons have taken him!" Arianna exclaimed.

"Not for nothing, but have you considered the fact that he might still be mad that you sold him out to templars?" Isabela inquired.

"That would be ridiculous," Sebastian scoffed. "Templars exist to guide and protect us."

"I am this close," Anders warned, raising his staff.

"I did not," Arianni admitted. "And it didn't matter anyway because the Keeper has said that demons are trying to possess him and so we need you to go into the Fade in his mind and free him or we'll have to kill him now. And if you could hurry then that would be great."

Carver started choking. "W-way to put the pressure on, lady!"

"He's been sleeping for two days now and my son is starting to get a reputation for being lazy," Arianni wailed.

"Under the circumstances, I think that things could be worse," Varric said dryly.

"Keeper Marethari has a way to free him but someone he trusts must enter the Fade and draw him out," Arianni explained.

"And it can't be you because you hates you for being a terrible person," Emma concluded. She shrugged. "Well, a mage in need and whatnot. Let's go."

"Wait, why would he trust us?" Carver demanded. "He met us, like, once three years ago."

"But we support mages," Anders said as if it explained everything. "As a non-mage – and especially as a templar – you could never understand."

"I really think that says more about you people than it does about me," Carver told him.

"Do you hear that?" Anders asked triumphantly. " 'You people'? Yet more proof of templar oppression!"

Carver just rolled his eyes and entered Arianni's house where an unconscious Feynriel and an unflappable Marethari were waiting.

"Keeper," Merrill muttered sullenly.

"Ah, Merrill. Have you come to realize that following the instructions of a demon who seeks only to escape into your body and wreak havoc on this world is a bad idea yet?" Marethari asked hopefully.

"I am an adult and I can make my own decisions!" Merrill cried out.

"Yes, you can, but I would really prefer you did not make stupid, suicidal ones that put us all at risk," Marethari said reasonably.

"I'm not even going to listen to you because you clearly have no idea what you're doing," Merrill told her, crossing her arms and pointedly looking away.

Marethari sighed. "I don't know where I went wrong with her, I really don't."

"Maybe it was the part where you didn't kill her for becoming a blood mage," Anders suggested helpfully.

"No, I think it must have been before that. She had to think letting a demon teach her blood magic was a good idea for a reason," Marethari replied.

"And, not to be racist or anything, but I can't believe that you would delve into the ancient magics to protect this half-breed when you wouldn't for me," Merrill complained.

"I don't know, Sunshine, I think that sounds pretty racist. You did call him a half-breed, after all," Varric pointed out.

"Well, it's all about potential consequences," Marethari tried to explain. "You could very well get us all killed while failing with Feynriel just means that he'll be a tranquil or possessed and killed before he awoke. It would be tragic for him, of course, but much safer for the rest of us."

"You never liked me," Merrill accused.

Marethari just shook her head and decided to ignore that. "I suppose you are wondering why any of this is necessary. Well, Feynriel is what is known as a dreamer. They are very rare and he is the first in two ages to survive. He basically has the power to control the Fade and this makes him very powerful but also an irresistible target for the demons that hate us all. Should he pull through this he will need to go to Tevinter to learn how to keep himself safe. His unconscious state is proof that he is being attacked by a demon right now."

"We've got to do something," Emma said seriously.

"Unfortunately, I only have the power to send four of you into the Fade. Who shall it be?" Marethari inquired. "Oh, but first, Arianni, I want you to leave. The fact that you left the Dalish offends to birth a human son offends me and there's no possibility that you might go into the Fade since you've clearly forgotten everything you've ever learned about Dalish pride and self-sufficiency or you would not live in such squalor in this human city."

"Hey, I live here and it's very nice!" Merrill cried out.

"You keep complaining no one has mugged you yet even though they mug everyone," Fenris reminded her.

"I don't see your point," Merrill said stubbornly.

"I'm going, obviously, as is Anders," Emma began.

"I'm not letting you to go mucking about in the Fade by yourselves," Carver said seriously. "You'd probably end up possessed as well and then Mother would kill me. I'm going."

"Well if you're going then I want to bring Aveline to deal with you," Emma replied, crossing her arms.

Carver sighed. "Fine, whatever."

"So I'm on Carver-sitting duty?" Aveline groused.

"Why can't I go? I really want to go! This sounds like it will be fascinating!" Merrill exclaimed.

"We just can't trust you in the Fade to not make a deal with a demon or something and screw us all over," Emma explained patiently.

"Well…what about him?" Merrill demanded, pointing at Anders.

"Anders hates demons," Emma said simply.

"Plus, he's already possessed so that's one less worry," Carver told her. "Don't worry, this should be fine. Probably. And if you went they'd probably find a way to really kill you or something."


	23. Justice Ruins Everything

The moment they landed in the Fade, Anders' eyes turned blue and his face was filled with lyrium cracks.

"Oh," Emma realized, unenthused. "Justice."

"It is good to be back here in the Fade and not the weak and corrupt human world," Justice said, not sounding at all pleased to be back there. "Emma Hawke. You are a distraction and not nearly as devoted to the cause of mages as you could be but you show more potential than anyone else Anders has met. I suppose that if he must waste his time not helping mages then he could do worse."

"I'm not sure if I should be glad to hear this or deeply upset," Emma admitted.

Carver, sensing the danger of Emma becoming even more committed to the mage cause, hurried over to her. "Don't worry about him, he's just trying to kill your love. And he sounds like a demon."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "He does, doesn't he? I really shouldn't listen to him at all."

Carver breathed a sigh of relief. "That is the best idea you've had in a long time."

They ventured forth into the dream realm and were soon greeted by a demon of sloth.

"That's two forgotten magic in one day, I can't say I like this pace," the demon complained idly.

"This is a sloth demon," Justice informed them importantly. "It makes men forget their purpose and their pride."

Carver rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we know."

"I say we kill it," Aveline suggested.

"In a minute," Emma promised her. "I thought you were all anti-pride, Justice."

"Well…yes," Justice conceded. "But still."

"I'm just saying that I'm getting a distinct vibe of hypocrisy," Emma told him.

"It's better than the powerful odor of mendacity, I suppose," Aveline murmured.

"Call me Topor," the demon entreated.

"I'd rather not," Emma told him. "I don't like to humanize my abominations of evil."

"I have a proposition that might interest you," the demon enticed.

"No! Do not listen to him!" Justice howled.

Emma automatically opened her mouth to deny the demon and then to attack but then she stopped, glanced at Justice, and shut it again. "Out of curiosity, we know what happens to Feynriel if he dies here but what happens to any of us?"

Carver actually smiled at that. "See, I knew you wouldn't think to ask and that's why I did. According to Marethari, we'll just wake up in the real world and be perfectly fine."

"Good to know," Emma told him, nodding in what might be considered thanks. "I'm listening demon. And even before I know you're bargain, I'll probably agree to it. I'm feeling in a demon-dealing mood today and there's nothing that any of you can do to stop me. Mwa ha ha."

"Emma…" Justice growled.

"All the powerful demons around are vying for that boy's soul," the demon explained. "And they'd use his power to wreak havoc on your mortal world. I, as a sloth demon, am far too lazy for anything like that or to even try to gain this power on my own. If you gain this power for me then I promise that I will just use it to secure my own position and not do anything else."

"Don't listen!" Justice ordered. "Sloth demons prey on your trust."

"Although I have to say that it seems pretty reasonable to trust a sloth demon to be lazy," Aveline remarked.

"What would I be getting out of it?" Emma inquired.

The sloth demon shrugged. "What would you want?"

"THIS IS A MONSTER! HE ASKS YOU TO SACRIFICE AN INNOCENT TO ITS OWN AMBITION!" Justice roared.

"Do not listen to this tiresome creature," the demon told them. "He's a hypocrite anyway since he did that exact same thing and now seeks to deny me of the pleasure of a human host."

"Your words are meaningless to me!" Justice shouted.

Carver sighed. "Of course they are. The fact that they're true has nothing to do with anything."

"If you try anything, I will stop you," Justice warned.

Emma grinned. "Try it."

Justice took out Anders' staff and started attacking her.

Aveline and Carver moved forward to help while the demon just stood there waiting.

"Stay back," Emma ordered. "I've got this."

With more glee than she probably should, she struck down her possessed boyfriend.

Emma then turned back to the demon. "Upon further consideration, I've decided not to make a deal with a demon after all because I'm not stupid nor am I crazy."

"That is up for debate," Aveline muttered.

"Then I will try to kill you though I don't have much hope for my chances," the sloth demon informed them.

"Good," Emma told him. "I was going to kill you no matter what and killing someone who won't fight back almost seems mean. I mean, I'd still do it but really."

Emma, Aveline, and Carver together soon made short work of the demon.

"Would you like to explain to me what exactly is going on?" Carver demanded.

"I would have thought it was obvious, Carver. I was about to make a deal with a demon and then I thought better of it," Emma replied.

Carver snorted. "Please. This is you. You may have your problems but being tempted to make a deal with a demon has never been one of them. Even that time you were dating that desire demon you didn't actually make any deals with her."

"I think that's what precipitated the break-up," Emma confided. "But…yeah, you're right. I was never actually going to make a deal with a demon and I don't want people thinking that I was even tempted. I have an image to maintain, you know. I'm going to have to think of another cover."

"If I give you another cover will you tell me what's really going on?" Carver asked her.

"I suppose," Emma agreed. "So long as you can keep it to yourself."

"You can tell people that you were never actually going to work with the demon but you were lulling it into a false sense of security so that you could have an easier time killing it," Carver offered.

Emma's eyes lit up. "Oh, I like it! Who would have thought that you'd be so good at coming up with a story on the spot, Carver?"

Carver smirked. "I was raised with two mage sisters and a mage father, remember?"

"So all of that was pretty much just because I wanted a justifiable excuse to kill Justice," Emma explained.

Carver's brow furrowed. "Emma…you know that Justice isn't actually dead, right? He's just back in the real world with Anders. Because if that could have killed him then I would have struck him down the minute we arrived. Demons disturb me."

Emma smiled at him. "You say the sweetest things sometime. So yeah, I totally knew that. That's why I asked, after all, because it wasn't worth attacking Justice if Anders would be the one to pay the price."

"So you goaded him with that phony deal since you knew that, as fanatical as he was, he wouldn't give you the benefit of the doubt like Anders or I would," Carver concluded. "I guess you really have a big problem with Justice, huh?"

"What gave it away?" Emma asked dryly.

"I know why I wouldn't want to date a man possessed – or a man at all, really – but what are your reasons?" Carver inquired. "I'm sure they're vastly different from mine."

Emma shrugged. "I don't know about that. I just am sick and tired of Justice trying to talk Anders into staying away from me. I lost three years of Anders-dating time because of him and the fact that Justice is around and this is Kirkwall I really don't know how long I'm going to have with Anders. I kind of resent so much wasted time."

"That…is almost a rational answer," Carver marveled. "But how do you think Anders is going to take it? For all he knows, you just killed him and Justice so you could let the demon possess him. And I'm sure Justice is feeding him that line as we speak."

To his surprise, Emma smiled at patted him on the shoulder. "Fortunately, I was just trying to trick the demon, remember?"

"Can you two hurry up?" Aveline demanded. "I'm getting bored and another demon could show up at any moment. Not to mention that poor Feynriel might not have much time left."

"I think your priorities might be slightly skewed, Aveline," Carver told her. "So nothing new, then."

They continued moving. Emma walked through a doorway and was immediately transformed into an older, male elf.

"What's going on?" Emma cried out in a voice that wasn't her own.

Aveline and Carver followed her in and were somehow not changed.

"Oh, I recognize him. He's Orsino, the First Enchanter here in Kirkwall," Aveline informed her.

Emma saw red. "What? This damn demon turned me into a Circle Mage? He is going to die even more than he was two minutes ago!"

"It might have been Feynriel," Carver tried to point out but Emma wasn't listening.

The scene before them was of a proud Marethari standing next to a beaming Feynriel in a forest with a bunch of translucent and thus clearly fake Dalish surrounding them. "My people, I present to you...our hope. His features may mark him as human but in his heart beats the blood of the Dales."

"This is so fake," Emma complained. "The Dalish would never really except a human. Even Merrill was calling him a half-breed earlier. But that doesn't matter. Demon, you have made me look like a Circle Mage and for that you're going to die."

Feynriel blinked a few times in quick succession. "Wait, what? A demon…Run away!" With that, he ran through a wall.

'Marethari' glared at Emma. "Why did you interf-"

She got no further before Emma started whacking the demon with her staff. There was a flash of light and suddenly the demon was a lot bigger and Emma was Emma again.

The three of them defeated the demon and then continued on.

"This would be a lot easier if Feynriel didn't run away again," Carver remarked.

The next room with a scene going on had what they could only assume was little Feynriel sitting at a desk "That's it, Feynriel. Hard on the down stroke, then lift. Good!"

"He wants to be a child again learning how to write?" Emma couldn't believe it. "I hated being a child."

"Well, maybe this is the father who abandoned him," Carver suggested, hoping that Emma wouldn't notice that she'd been turned into Arianni or she'd throw an even bigger fit than she did before.

"If I had known you were such a bright lad, I would have brought you into the business years ago," the demon said.

Emma snorted. "Please. 'Bright'? He must be at least ten and he's just learning how to write? My siblings and I were six when we learned. And why would you want an Orlesian in your life anyway?"

"He's Antivan," Aveline corrected her.

Emma shrugged. "Same difference?"

Feynriel stood up and ran off crying.

"Was it something I said?" Emma wondered as she changed back and the desire demon resumed its normal form as well.

"I am going to make you pay for that," the demon growled.

"Whatever," Emma said, yawning. "I'm just going to kill you, you know."

"Maybe," the demon allowed. "But first…What would your dear brother do for the chance to get out from your shadow, to gain the acknowledgement he that he has always been seeking and so richly deserves?"

"Carver, if you make a deal with a demon I'm going to have to kill you," Emma warned him. "Not to worry, though, you won't be dead-dead any more than Anders is."

Carver rolled his eyes. "Not to worry yourself, Emma. I'm not going to take her up on her offer."

"Are you so certain?" the demon asked silkily. "You've been with these people for three years in some cases and your entire life for others. Has anything really changed? Do you think anything ever will? These people are toxic to you and you know it and yet somehow you've never been able to turn your back on them. What if I could change all of that? What if I could make it better, give you everything you've ever wanted?"

Aveline was eyeing him suspiciously and her hands kept twitching towards her sword.

Carver just shook his head. "No one's that good and I'm not going to be the one to screw something up that even Emma can get right."

The demon drew back, stunned. "That usually works…"

"Wow, Carver," Emma said, pleased. "Between this and that story we're going to tell Anders I might actually have to start willingly acknowledging our relationship before too long."

Carver laughed. "You're too kind."

"Wait, let me try again!" the demon said quickly. "What would your noble knight do to reclaim what she lost?"

"Noble? Aveline?" Carver asked, unable to believe it. "And she probably would kill Emma. She kind of hates her for killing her dying husband."

"I said that I was going to do it," Aveline said defensively.

Suddenly the demon became Aveline's dead husband. "You spent your whole life trying to be the chevalier your father wanted. The one thing you chose for yourself, and the darkspawn took him. And her."

"That might have been a more realistic dream if you had lived in Orlais," Emma remarked. "And if you were a man so you'd have an easier time raping people. Still, I suppose you could always steal and pillage the land. Not that I've really noticed you do any of this. You're actually a pretty terrible chevalier, Aveline, and that's a pretty high compliment."

"And what kind of Ferelden was your father to want a chevalier for a daughter?" Carver demanded. "Or a son if he gave you gender issues that way."

Aveline had eyes for no one but the demon. "Wesley?"

"Is that seriously his name? Because 'Wesley' is a stupid name," Emma declared.

"I've been waiting for you, my love," the demon said softly. "All your doubts started when we met this apostate."

"Only because you didn't realize the signs of Blight sickness like we did," Carver insisted.

"Your failure can be erased, that moment rewritten. I promise. Just kill her," the demon instructed.

"This is so stupid," Carver complained. "Demons can't time travel."

"And did you somehow not notice that two minutes ago 'Wesley' was a desire demon and…oh, she did not just transform back into demon form! Look around, Aveline!" Emma cried out.

"I don't even care," Aveline realized. "Maybe this will work and maybe it won't but either way I really want to kill you both."

Well, if that was what she wanted…

The Hawke siblings took out first Aveline and then the desire demon.

"Let's just go and find Feynriel already, I'm getting annoyed," Emma groused.

"Though I did enjoy killing Aveline. Not as much as I'm sure you enjoyed killing Justice but it was still very nice," Carver said, much more cheerfully.

"If this takes too much longer I might just make him Tranquil out of spite," Emma admitted.

"Then we should really hurry," Carver said, speeding up.

They went back the way they came and found Feynriel pacing around, looking to be just about at the end of his rope.

"I can't spend another moment in this place. The screaming! Everywhere, all I hear are the nightmares of people dying, fleeing, gnawing their own arms off to escape," Feynriel complained. "Are you two demons? Please tell me you aren't demons."

"Like any of the others were honest with you," Carver snarked.

"Please help me escape. Help me die," Feynriel begged.

Emma frowned. "Okay, I'm confused. Do you want to escape or to die?"

"I've decided that there is no other escape for me but death," Feynriel clarified.

"Well that's stupid and if I were going to kill you then I wouldn't have bothered coming here," Emma replied.

"I always hate it when people with nothing stopping them from killing themselves try to put their death on someone else's conscience," Carver said, glaring at him.

"It's not so easy to kill yourself, you know," Feynriel shot back.

"And it's supposed to be so easy to kill an innocent kid?" Carver demanded. "How selfish can you get? I have no sympathy."

"If you won't kill me and I won't kill myself then what other options do I have?" Feynriel asked desperately. "Maker, I wish I was a dwarf. Dwarves don't have to deal with any of this nonsense."

"Just, I don't know, wake up and get over yourself or something," Emma said, shrugging. "I think Marethari suggested going to Tevinter or something."

"Tevinter?" Feynriel asked, his eyes brightening. "Yes, I want to go there. I can do this!"

"How very convenient," Carver complained. "He might as well have done this by himself earlier and saved us a trip!"

Feynriel just walked off and into a glowing blue light and then Carver and Emma were back in the real world.

"What happened?" Arianni asked immediately.

"He's mastered his powers or whatever," Emma told him. "He should be fine. He wants to go to Tevinter."

"How…nice," Arianni said, wilting.

"I must confess that I did not think what you did was possible," Marethari admitted. "You are a rare human indeed."

Carver twitched. "Then why did you send us in there in the first place?"

"It all worked out for the best," Marethari replied, not really answering his question.

"If you're looking for an apology then you're not going to get it," Aveline said flatly as Emma and Carve climbed to their feet. "I still don't like you."

"Newsflash, everyone, Aveline tried to kill us in the Fade," Carver told them.

"How gauche," Varric remarked.

"Emma, may I speak to you privately?" Anders asked, looking as if he were about to burst.

Looking uncharacteristically apprehensive, Emma slowly nodded. "Of course."

She followed Anders outside.

Anders was practically shaking with anger but was clearly trying to control it. "So, you've given him sufficient time - has your demon granted everything he promised? I have driven myself mad asking what it was. World-shattering power? Riches enough to buy all of Kirkwall? What was worth turning on me? Killing me? Did you even know that I would wake alive?"

"Of course I knew! You heard me ask Carver, remember?" Emma asked rhetorically, hoping that Anders would not think to ask why she wanted to know if people would be fine if they died before she had agreed to help the demon. "And I killed Justice and not you."

"Explain," Anders said flatly, refusing to be distracted.

"I was just pretending to help the demon so that we would have an easier time killing it," Emma lied. "Just ask Aveline. You know she won't lie for me and I doubt Carver will either, at least when it's not about me being a mage. But definitely not Aveline."

The incredulous look on Anders' face broke her heart. "You mean…?"

"Feynriel isn't possessed," Emma said with great relish. "I killed the sloth demon and a few other demons, too."

"I don't know what to say," Anders confessed, still wide-eyed. "I assumed you lied to Arianni."

"And you would have let me? That's so romantic!" Emma gushed.

A shadow crossed Anders' face. "It's not easy to dismiss the memory of you striking me down."

"Striking Justice down," Emma corrected. It was an important distinction. "I'd never strike you down. Besides, it's only been about twenty minutes. Give it time."

"Even had I known your plan, I suppose Justice wouldn't listen. He's not capable of subtlety or subterfuge," Anders told her.

Emma smiled wryly. "You don't say?"

"I've stayed out of the Fade since we merged, Emma. I don't like the feeling of being a passenger in my own skin," Anders said quietly. "I suppose that Justice feels like that every day. Shackled to my body and every decision I make. No wonder it's become a prison for him."

But most of Anders' decisions were Justice's, weren't they? All but his decision to be with Emma.

"I'm sorry, Anders," Emma said gently. "I didn't realize…I won't make you come with me anymore into the Fade. Carver and I and whoever else – probably not Aveline – will be fine."

"But I want to come with you, to protect you," Anders said earnestly. "I can take a little discomfort."

"And so can I," Emma replied. "I'm pretty indestructible, you know."

Anders smiled at that. "The perks of being a mage."

Varric came out of the house then, holding a book. "Observe the spoils of our exploits!"

"What's that?" Emma asked curiously.

"It's a super-rare book that belonged to the previous dreamer their clan had," Varric told them. "We all agreed that it would make more sense to give it to Feynriel but, well, Marethari insisted. I'm thinking about selling it. You game?"

"What else are ancient heirlooms for?" Emma asked rhetorically, surprised that he even had to ask.


	24. Bartrand's Back

"It's not that I'm opposed to random midnight strolls through Hightown, even if I'm sure that half of the households have called the guard on us, but I still don't get why you want to do this, Varric," Emma told him.

"I wouldn't worry about the guard, they know that you belong here, Emma, and that I wouldn't be with you if you were up to any mischief," Aveline assured her.

"I wouldn't worry about the guard, either. And I'm pretty sure that mischief will be going on," Carver disagreed.

"There's really no reason, I was just feeling like going for a midnight walk," Varric claimed. "But since we happen to have coincidentally stopped in front of this one house, would now be a good time to mention that my traitorous brother is back from Rivain and is lodging right here?"

"That's an odd coincidence to be sure," Isabela agreed. "In fact, one might almost call it contrived."

"Almost," Varric agreed. "So does anybody else feel like paying him a visit?"

"I don't know, midnight seems a little late for visitors," Merrill said doubtfully. "Unless dwarves do it differently?"

"No dwarves, Sunshine. Family," Varric told her.

"What are the odds that we get to kill him?" Emma inquired.

Varric smirked and removed Bianca from his back. "Pretty good, I'd say."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Emma asked, grinning.

They knocked on the door, as was only polite even when showing up in the middle of the night to probably kill your host, but there was no answer.

"How long should we wait?" Anders wondered. "I mean, it's pretty late so it's possible he needs some time to get out of bed or rouse a servant or something but I don't want to waste a lot of time standing out here if he's just not going to come."

"You know, Blondie, I think you have a point," Varric remarked.

Carver groaned. "He never has a point."

"Oh, but here he does," Varric insisted. "It's late so it would be downright decent of us if we just let ourselves in, wouldn't it? Fortunately, Bartrand is nothing if not predictable and never remembers his key so he always hides one under the mat." He bent down and fished a key out from under said mat.

"If he's so predictable then why didn't you see that he was going to leave us all to die?" Fenris challenged.

"Actually, that was quite predictable," Varric admitted. "He did that kind of thing all the time. I just sort of wasn't expecting a betrayal until we had already gathered everything and hauled it to the surface for him. And if he had tried anything then then we would have been ready."

"I guess that's why he acted earlier, then," Carver concluded.

"I don't understand what the point is of even locking your door if you're going to be so stupid as to leave a key under the mat. Everyone always checks their first," Aveline pointed out.

Varric shrugged. "I guess maybe it's safer to hide a key under a mat and stymie the five percent of the population who wouldn't think to look there than to not even bother locking the door. I tried to get him to put a key around his neck so he wouldn't lose it but apparently he couldn't stand the feeling of the metal against his skin."

"I guess the real wonder is why he hasn't been killed in his sleep before this," Emma commented.

"He's always had me to arrange for suitable protection," Varric explained. "He really should have thought of that before actually successfully betraying me. But then, I guess that maybe he hadn't been expecting to succeed any more than I had actually expected him to succeed. This is really new territory for us. And for the record, Bartrand may be a lying, betraying creep but he's still my brother and so we're at least going to wake him up and maybe give him a sword before we kill him."

Varric unlocked the door and they all walked through and began to explore the house.

"This place looks abandoned," Emma remarked as she looked around.

"I don't get it," Varric said, frowning. "My sources saw people here making deliveries only a week ago and now it looks like it's been abandoned for months!"

"Not for nothing, Varric, but if they were making deliveries a week ago then why are we only getting to this now?" Carver inquired.

Varric shrugged. "I've been kind of busy."

"Too busy to get around to avenging the betrayal that nearly killed us at the hands of your own brother who could take off at any second, especially if he realizes that you're still alive?" Carver couldn't believe it.

"Careful, Junior. I detect the faint hint of judgment," Varric complained. "And I figured this was best to do at midnight and I had to make sure that Sebastian wasn't around – because who wants him around anyway? – and we've had a lot of midnight adventures lately."

"Why is that?" Aveline wondered. "It makes showing up for work at eight absolute hell when our adventures don't even start until midnight."

"Well, no one but you actually has a steady job," Emma pointed out. "I mean, I guess Varric runs his family business or whatever but when you own the business then you can set the hours."

"I'm the only man I could ever stand to work for," Varric informed them.

"Hey!" Anders protested. "I have a job, too."

Emma tilted her head. "Well…you don't actually get paid so it's more of a volunteer thing."

"The people I heal are the poorest of the poor and I couldn't possibly justify taking their money!" Anders cried out. He made a face. "Not that I haven't tried because, especially in the past, I've needed to eat, too, but…Apparently it's 'unjust.'"

"I'm not trying to trivialize the work that you do," Emma assured him. "It's just that the fact you're not getting paid and it's not like people are fighting over the chance to heal the sick and poor means that you can show up whenever you want to however often you want to and there's nothing anybody can do. They can't exactly fire you, now can they?"

"You know, Emma, I am a templar," Carver reminded her.

"For the purposes of allowing you to remain in my presence, I choose not to acknowledge this," Emma encountered. "And besides, how often are you actually there? Do the templars really have such lax schedules?"

Carver shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah. Unless a mage escapes or uses blood magic or consorts with demons there's not a lot to do. Most of them are a lot more zealous than I am and have nothing better to do with their time, having forsaken all earthly attachments or something, and so are eager to take my shifts guarding the Circle."

"If you're not going to do anything templar-like then why did you even join the templars?" Isabela demanded.

"I didn't want to be dependent on my sister forever and it pays well," Carver explained.

Isabela laughed. "They could pay you a pittance and it would still be paying well for all they seem to expect out of you."

"When you're right, you're right," Carver agreed.

"I wonder if I could be a templar…" Isabela mused. "I bet that they're just a hot mess of weird sexual kinks."

"They're supposed to be celibate," Carver told her.

Isabela raised an eyebrow. "Oh, are they? And how is he doing with that one, Merrill?"

Merrill just blushed.

"No, nuh-uh, not going to happen!" Emma exclaimed. "My brother is one thing but no one else is allowed to join the templars or I shall simply have to scream and probably start stabbing things."

"Hey, how about you guys sit this one out?" Varric suggested. "I mean, I know you've come all this way with me but I'm awesome and I've got Bianca, who is awesome, and this is my brother we need to kill. You all could help and maybe speed things up but, seriously, it would be much more epic if I did it all by myself."

"Then why did we even come?" Carver demanded. "Just to be your cheerleading squad and watch you be awesome?"

Varric raised an eyebrow. "Think about it."

Carver grinned suddenly. "Yeah, you're right, that would be pretty great and totally worth it."

What proceeded was the most epic ten minutes any of them had ever seen as Varric was mobbed again and again by his brother's guards and, not losing his cool for an instant, he dispatched them each with one well-aimed blow from Bianca.

"Wow," Emma marveled. "Varric's almost as good as a mage."

"I know," Anders agreed, just as awed. "And if we were capable of being even remotely objective, we'd be forced to admit that he is, in fact, better than a mage."

At last he burst into his brother's chambers, the others trailing along behind him at a far enough distance that they would not get in the way but close enough so that they could still appreciate his majesty.

He shot a single bolt through three guards and, as they fell, they revealed a cowering Bartrand with his hands up as if to protect his face.

"Hello, dear brother," Varric said, smirking.

"Oh, Varric! Please forgive me, my brother. I was just jealous of you," Bartrand begged, falling to his knees.

"I know," Varric said simply.

"How could I ever compete with you for Mother's love?" Bartrand wailed.

"You can't," Varric said coolly. "In fact, you could never compete with me at all for anything."

\----

" 'You're strong and handsome and so very smart,' Bartrand gushed. It was getting a little embarrassing," Varric said, really getting into his story.

"Okay, enough!" Cassandra snapped. "It's hard enough to believe that Aveline is such a terrible guard captain, and no one notices Emma Hawke's blatant magic, or that Carver can still spend all his time chasing after his sister when he's supposed to be a templar but this…This is too much."

"I assure you that all the rest of that is true," Varric swore. "I think the problem is that the people of Kirkwall are just really not at all observant. Carver and maybe a few silent supporters were really the only ones who seemed to see how terrible Aveline was at her job. She's a good soldier but she's just too pedantic and by the books to be really good at being a captain. And she hung around with us and never reported all our rule-breaking endeavors, of course."

"I have heard only good things about her tenure as guard captain," Cassandra said, confused. "They say that she really turned the guards around."

Varric rolled her eyes. "I know. It used to drive Carver crazy. I still don't understand why everyone thought that. Maybe they just couldn't wrap their minds around how someone that dedicated could be bad at their job and they really didn't want to have to train another replacement. The usual bureaucratic BS, you know how it is. So instead they laid the blame at the feet of the city itself and how inevitable everything was. Aveline was perfect and couldn't have done anything differently because it was all inevitable. Yes, even the part about Anders and the-"

"We'll get to that in good time," Cassandra cut him off. "What about the Hawke siblings?"

"Bethany really wasn't up to anything just then, she was off being the good little Circle mage and wondering why Emma had never stopped by to see her," Varric answered.

Cassandra's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You mean never? Not in three years?"

"I mean never," Varric confirmed. "And she never actually did, either. Sure, Bethany comforted herself that Emma just couldn't take the risk of walking into the gallows as an apostate mage but she did that all the time later. No, I think she just couldn't stand to see Bethany as a Circle mage and since that was sort of something Bethany had inexplicably wanted it made things…awkward."

"I see," Cassandra said, clearly not seeing at all. But there was really no way to make her understand because she'd never known Emma.

"Maybe Emma's magic subconsciously prevented her from being noticed or maybe no one wanted to mess with the girl who was surrounded by a small army at all times. And dealing with apostate nobles was just a headache, I assure you," Varric continued. "They probably thought it wasn't worth it, especially since she showed no signs of being possessed or supporting blood magic."

"Unlike Merrill and Anders," Cassandra pointed out.

Varric groaned. "They cost me a fortune. And then Anders went and…I still can't believe it."

"Neither can half of Thedas," Cassandra said dryly.

"As for Carver, well, Meredith was too busy being a fanatic and slowly unraveling to run a very tight ship. Cullen had his hands full fighting blatant abuses of templar power with regards to mages to care what Carver got up to since he wasn't engaging in any of that and had something rare known as 'morals'," Varric continued. "This made him kind of boring at times but it did mean that he could pretty much do what he wanted."

Cassandra nodded. "Alright, then. Now continue with the story. The real story. Or at least make up a more convincing lie."

Varric shrugged. "You've got it."

\----

The group killed their way to Bartrand, stopping briefly to find out what was going on from the only semi-sane person in that house. Bartrand's steward revealed that he had been slowly going crazy and obsessing over the lyrium idol he had betrayed them over and had come back to Kirkwall to find it. Not that the presence of the idol let Bartrand off the hook or anything.

The steward did not know who the idol had been sold to, just that it was 'some Meredith woman.'

Unfortunately, there was to be no epic battle as when they finally found Bartrand he was clearly out of his head and talking to the ceiling.

"I just need to hold it again….just for a minute…" he was muttering. "Stop saying that! I know I shouldn't have sold the idol to that woman! Well, I can't change history and if you can then why can't you just do it and leave me out of it? No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!"

"Um…what's going on?" Emma asked, confused.

"My brother's lost it," Varric said with a heavy heart. "I guess this means I can't kill him."

"Unless, of course, he's only pretending to be crazy so that you won't be able to kill him," Isabela theorized.

Varric brightened as he considered the idea but then reluctantly shook his head. "Nah, this would have taken days or weeks to organize and Bartrand's just not a forward planner. Maybe if he hadn't done whatever he did to his household I could believe that but this is a bit much."

"It was a mistake!" Bartrand shouted.

Everyone looked pointedly at Varric.

Varric sighed. "Oh, fine. My brother, my responsibility, huh?" He marched towards Bartrand and grabbed a hold of his shirt. "Do you have any idea where you are or what you've done?"

"Varric! Excellent timing!" Bartrand exclaimed. "Help me find the idol, will you? I could always count on you."

"Bartrand, you left me to die over that damn idol, remember?" Varric growled.

"Yeah, but you're fine," Bartrand said dismissively. "You're always fine. Now help me find the idol!"

Varric rolled his eyes. "I'm not making any progress. Can't any of you mages do something?"

Anders stepped forward. "Maybe I can, for a little while. This isn't natural, though. If he weren't a dwarf I'd suspect demon possession."

"Just try it," Varric snapped.

Anders nodded and waved his hands. A blue light emitted from them and settled on Bartrand.

"What the…Damn, I've really jumped off that slippery slope of sanity, haven't I?" Bartrand asked horrified. "First thing's first, Varric, don't let House Tethras fall like this, okay?"

"Way ahead of you, Brother. I've been working on that for the last three years and we're doing better than ever," Varric assured him.

"Well, that's good," Bartrand said, looking a little put-out. "I suppose I should probably apologize for trying to kill you again."

Varric waved it off. "Don't strain yourself."

"And…" Bartrand looked more solemn than they had ever seen him. "I know I really don't deserve this because I'm kind of a terrible person but don't just leave me like this. Help me, somehow, please."

Varric nodded. "I'll get you to a healer or two or a dozen or however many it takes. I'll get you to them and you'll be fine. Whatever it takes."

"Varric, is he really going to be fine?" Emma asked hesitantly. Already the madness was creeping back into his eyes. "I mean, how can you undo something like this?"

"I don't know," Varric admitted. "But could you really just kill your own brother?"

Carver started looking nervous.

To his great surprise, Emma shook her head. "Oh, trust me. If I could he'd be long dead by now. But family is family."

"Thanks…I think," Carver said, scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe if we can find this idol and destroy it we can do something," Anders suggested.

Varric nodded. "Now that's an idea."

"Varric, you saw what it did to Bartrand. You're seeing it right now!" Aveline cried out. "It's just not safe and you want to actively seek it out?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Varric demanded.

"Well, yes, actually, I do," Aveline told him.

Varric tapped his foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

"I know but you already shot down the 'kill Bartrand' idea," Aveline explained.

"If only we had something more to go on than 'some Meredith woman'," Emma said mournfully.

"The only Meredith that I know is the knight-commander but she's always been unstable so who can even tell if she's been affected?" Carver asked rhetorically.

Varric sighed. "So it's settled, then. And will probably take years. Come on, Bartrand, I'm going to get you to a healer."

"Do you think they'll know about the idol?" Bartrand asked hopefully.

Varric closed his eyes. "We can certainly ask."

"So I see I was right about the idol being evil," Fenris noted, pleased, as they headed for the door.

Varric glared at him. "Now is really not the time, Fenris."

Fenris shrugged. "That's fine. I'll keep bringing it up until it is."

"On second thought," Varric said hastily. "Maybe now's the time after all."

Fenris shook his head. "It's too late. I'll have to try again later."


	25. Warning: Sebastian

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please!" Sebastian pleaded as they walked along Hightown.

The other party members did their best to tune him out.

Varric was the first to crack. "Not that I want to be known for being this easy to break but if someone's got to fall on their sword then I guess it might as well be me. Fine, Sebastian, we'll go help you now."

"You can't just decide that!" Emma objected. "You're not even the leader or anything!"

"Well, no," Varric conceded. "But do you want him to start up with that again? He's been at it for three hours."

"Try two minutes," Carver corrected, glancing at his watch.

Varric rolled his eyes. "Well, sure, if you want to be all factual about it. It felt like three hours, Carver. Do you really want to listen to," he paused, "what feels like 270 hours of him saying 'please' for the next three hours?"

"…No," Carver replied.

"It really is remarkable that he's managed to be so very annoying," Fenris agreed. His eyes narrowed. "In fact, it's almost mage-like."

Anders' eyes flashed blue. "Oh, no! Do not try to pin this one on us! I mean, we've had to accept the blame for a lot of things that were clearly not our fault but this is just too much!"

"Is it?" Fenris challenged. "Is it really?"

"Alright, fine, we'll help," Emma conceded reluctantly. "But after this we never want to hear from you again, okay?"

"You don't mean that," Sebastian said, smiling.

"I could kill him right now," Anders informed them.

"Anders, you can't just talk about murdering someone in front of the captain of the guard!" Aveline complained.

"Oh, now you care about doing your job," Carver said, irritated.

"I see the problem," Anders realized. "You would rather I just do it."

"No!" Aveline cried out.

"This is the place," Sebastian said, stopping in front of one of the houses. "We shall have to pick the lock."

"Here, let me," Aveline volunteered, stepping up to the door.

"It was nice while it lasted," Carver said, sighing. "All thirty seconds of it."

Aveline ignored him and the door soon swung open.

As they walked inside and began exploring, Sebastian began to annoy everyone with his strange observations.

"There is something very, very wrong in here…" he said slowly.

Merrill – Merrill! – rolled her eyes. "Really? And what makes you think that?"

"I can just sort of tell," Sebastian tried to explain.

They came across a woman holding a bowl out in front of her drunkenly. "More, you lazy son of a bitch! What's taking so long?"

"Flora," Sebastian helpfully identified.

"Oh, is this what you meant?" Carver asked. "This 'Flora' clearly out of it?"

"What?" Sebastian asked, thrown that someone had said something not negative to him. "Oh, no, she's always like that."

"It's like she can't even see us, though," Emma protested as Flora continued to rant about drowning in dregs or something.

"Flora always was kind of self-centered," Sebastian said, shrugging.

"Well if that's not the weird part then what is?" Isabela inquired.

"I'll know it when I see it," Sebastian said confidently.

They came across another room where a man was holding an elf at knife-point.

"Is he going to attack her?" Emma asked, narrowing her eyes.

"More gold! I want to pour it all over her and make her beautiful!" the man cried out.

Emma relaxed. "No, I guess he's just going to drop gold on her head. That would probably hurt."

"I think he's planning on melting it down first," Isabela corrected her. "That would probably kill."

"Still, it could be worse," argued Emma.

"Don't, you'll kill her," Sebastian said listlessly. "Well, he can't hear me. Clearly there is nothing I can do."

Carver shot him a disgusted look. "You are useless, you know that?"

"I have heard some rumors to that effect," Sebastian agreed. "But I am not! Here, watch this!" He punched a passing elf.

The threatened elf took that opportunity to flee the room.

"See, I'm practically a hero now," Sebastian bragged.

"Aren't you here for bloody vengeance?" Varric asked him pointedly.

Sebastian shrugged. "It's no good if these people out of their senses! I want them to be fully aware so that they may suffer when you kill them and I can stand by judging you."

This Harriman, who Sebastian had not bothered to identify, did not appear to notice what had just happened behind him. Instead, he pondered, "Perhaps I should be the one. I look nice in gold…"

"We must end this madness so that I may end them!" Sebastian exclaimed, a lot more animatedly than he'd tried to save that elf.

"Let's check the basement," Emma suggested. "I know that if I were going to be all evil and blood mage-y then I would definitely do it in the basement."

"Who said anything about blood magic?" Aveline asked.

Emma nodded Merrill's way. "Just her very presence reminds me."

"Aw…" Merrill said, looking down.

"Just ignore them," Carver said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Flora, the crazy gold man, and a shirtless man greeted them down in the basement.

"Go away," Flora said, sounding a lot less drunk all of a sudden.

"We can't, Sebastian wants us to kill you all," Emma said, almost apologetic.

"You shall not enter," Flora said again. Then she and the other two all promptly fell over at the same time.

"…How, exactly, do they intend to stop us if they're not even conscious?" Carver inquired.

"Maybe they're going to…No, I've got nothing," Anders told him.

"Maybe that's how," Fenris said, pointing to the three demons that had suddenly materialized.

"But…Why are they unconscious? Did summoning them kill them or sap them of their energy or something? Are they astral projecting or something?" Emma demanded.

"Who cares?" Aveline cried out. "Let's just kill them already!"

"I hope this will kill the Harriman siblings," Sebastian said eagerly. "That way I will be perfectly justified in striking them down!"

Once the three demons were killed, Sebastian quickly ran over to check the Harrimans' pulses.

"Damn," Sebastian swore. "Still alive."

"There's nothing stopping you from killing them now," Isabela pointed out.

Sebastian's shoulders slumped. "Yes, there is. Servants of the Maker do not kill an unconscious foe. I'll have to wait until they wake up and by then I might not even really be interested in it anymore."

"Don't you just hate it when things get in the way of your violent, bloody revenge?" Carver asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Sebastian shouted, the sarcasm going right over his head.

"Let's keep going," Emma suggested. "I don't want to have to wait for them to wake up by themselves. I'm bored already. Though, to be fair, I've been bored ever since we came here. Bored and annoyed."

"Can you be both at once?" Isabela asked curiously.

Emma nodded. "Oh, yes."

Merrill frowned. "But Emma, can't we use our magic to wak-"

"Moving right along!" Emma said loudly, marching onward.

"Wait for me! I'm the one who kind of sort of know where we're going!" Sebastian cried out, trying to get in front of her.

Their path through the demons that littered the basement was complicated a little by Sebastian and Emma constantly trying to stay ahead of the other but it wasn't annoying enough that anybody (even Carver) felt like starting an argument with Emma about it.

And eventually they came to a middle-aged woman kneeling before a desire demon.

"We can come back later," Anders offered, looking away.

"They're here!" the woman said, flinching. "Quick, give me more! Starkhaven won't listen to me and I just don't understand why."

"Perhaps it's the fact that Prince Sebastian keeps telling everyone that your family was the one that murdered his family and it's clear that Goran Vael is your puppet," the demon suggested.

The woman shook her head. "No, that can't be it."

"You know, Choir Boy, I think this is a pretty compelling case for you finally returning home and taking your throne as you should have done three years ago," Varric said pointedly.

Sebastian shook his head and looked sad. "If only I could. But Her Grace needs me."

Varric rolled his eyes. "Why don't you let 'Her Grace' be the judge of that? I hear tries to talk you into returning weekly."

Sebastian practically swooned. "She is so very selfless."

"At some point you're going to need to accept the fact that he is just never going to do his duty," Carver said shrewdly.

Varric sighed. "Oh, I know. I was just hoping that if he left he might leave us alone and, though this is probably optimistic to the point of foolishness, if he became king then we might actually get something out of being associated with him."

"My duty," Sebastian said firmly, "is to the Chantry no matter what the Chantry itself might have to say about it."

"You don't understand!" the woman cried out. "I must marry Vael off to my Flora to solidify my position but I need more power to do it!"

"That's Lady Harriman," Sebastian spat out.

"If you control Vael and Vael controls Starkhaven then why do you need more power to marry them to each other?" the demon wondered.

In lieu of answering, Harriman turned around to face them and blinked a few times. "Sebastian! How…awkward."

"You were my mother's friend! How could you murder her?" he demanded.

"Murder is such an ugly word," the demon tempered.

"How fitting, then, to use it to describe what she did," Sebastian snapped.

"All she did was remove the one obstacle between herself and her desires," the demon defended.

"Yeah, through murder," Sebastian said hotly. "You are aware that my brother – the oldest one, the one that would have taken the throne – was completely in love with Flora, right?"

Harriman froze. "No…I did not. You're lying."

"You can ask Flora, if you like," Sebastian said coldly. "They told me about it and were going to make an announcement only a few days after you had my entire family murdered. All of this could have been avoided if you weren't psychotic!"

Harriman was thrown for a moment before she rallied. "Well, maybe if someone had told me I wouldn't have done it! I'm not psychic!"

"If you weren't so terrible, them waiting wouldn't have had such a big body count!" Sebastian countered. "In a way, I'm glad this has happened. You don't deserve to have anything to do with ruling Starkhaven."

"Are you seriously saying that you're glad your family was murdered?" Aveline demanded. "For any reason?"

"And do you realize that she's already ruling Starkhaven more directly than she would have been had she not murdered your family?" Merrill asked.

Sebastian valiantly ignored these perfectly valid questions.

"The desire for power is easy to understand. You both possess it, do you not? You and your friend-" the demon started to say.

"Which friend?" Sebastian interrupted. "I brought several."

"You brought none!" Emma said harshly.

"That one, there," the demon said, nodding Emma's way. "But don't you both wish to possess more?"

"Who wouldn't?" Emma asked rhetorically. "But I don't really want to have to do much to get it."

"I…I don't know," Sebastian looked torn.

Carver snorted. "Please. Sebastian, if you had even a mild longing for power then you would have long since gone back to Starkhaven and done what everyone wants you to do."

Sebastian straightened up suddenly and beamed. "My friend! You are right! Oh, thank you!"

"I'm not your friend," Carver said, twitching.

"Quick, someone attack her!" Sebastian ordered.

"The demon or the woman?" Aveline inquired.

"Both," Sebastian replied.

"Why can't you do it?" Fenris asked him.

Sebastian shrugged apologetically. "My vows-"

"She's a demon," Anders interrupted. "Surely you're allowed to kill them!"

"Only in self-defense," Sebastian explained.

Everyone was standing there at an impasse until Varric finally had enough. Rolling his eyes, he shot Lady Harriman in the chest.

"Aw, I wanted to do that one…" Sebastian whined before turning his attention to the demon.

Varric was not at all sympathetic. "You had your chance."

Once the demon was dead and successfully looted, Sebastian brightened once again. "Maybe…maybe the Harriman siblings are awake by now! I should go and see so that I may have you all kill them and I may judge you for it."

"Well," Varric said, heaving a great sigh, "I suppose we had to go back that way anyway."

"We're almost done with him," Fenris said, trying to be optimistic for once and failing pretty badly because he was sorely out of practice. Not that he was sure if he had ever really been in practice.

It looked like they really had awakened because Flora was wringing her hands as she waited for them and her brothers were nowhere in sight. "Sebastian, I feel like I should say that I'm sorry but how exactly does one say 'I'm sorry my mother was psychotic and made a deal with a demon and killed your entire family'?"

"I think that actually was the way that someone would go about doing something like that," Emma said helpfully.

"Well...that then," Flora said, a little lamely. "When I think of what mother made us do…what those creatures made us do…"

"Wait a second," Sebastian objected. "This isn't about my family at all! It's not like you were actually the ones to murder my family."

"Why did the demon make her become a wino, her brother pour gold on things, and the other one…well, I can only speculate but he wasn't wearing a shirt," Isabela said, her question sort of petered out at the end.

Fenris shrugged. "She was a demon. I do not believe that she was supposed to make sense."

"Well, I had a hard time, too," Flora said defensively.

"My entire family was murdered," Sebastian said simply.

Flora sighed. "Right, I can see where that's going to get really old, really fast. I said I'm sorry, alright, even though this was in no way my fault and, if you think about it, I was more of a victim than you were, all safe in Kirkwall's Chantry."

"We were friends, Flora," Sebastian said tightly.

"Yes, yes we were," Flora agreed. "You did get the part where none of this was even slightly my fault, right? Am I going to be blamed for my mother's actions? Her demon-influenced actions?"

"The demon made it sound as if she were already jealous of my family," Sebastian pointed out.

Flora threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, who cares? I think the fact she never actually did anything stupid until the demon showed up is a pretty good indication that it was to blame."

"I agree," Anders spoke up, surprisingly. "It is demons who should be feared, not mages."

"Sometimes I really do wonder if you think about what you say before you say it," Carver said, sighing.

Anders blinked at him. "Of course I do. Why?"

Carver sighed again. "Never mind. If I have to explain it then you're just not going to get it."

"I suppose that I should still make a gesture and offer reparations or whatever," Flora said thoughtfully. "And since you're right here in front of me and probably the living person most directly hurt by my mother's actions, I'll pledge my support to you. My mother wasn't the only one with her eye on Starkhaven. If or when you go to reclaim it you face opposition, you have my support."

Sebastian did not look particularly enthused. "That's so nice…"

"He'll let you know if he ever decides to actually go out and do his damn duty," Varric translated. "I wouldn't hold my breath, though."

"Being in this foul place is making me sick so I suggest that we leave," Sebastian said loudly.

"I'll walk you out," Flora offered.

Sebastian shot her a disdainful look. "No thank you."

"Well, at least I'm still getting 'thank yous'," Flora said wryly. "Farewell, then. Call on me when – if – you have need of me."

"So," Carver said as they made their way out of the house. "You have your bloody vengeance."

Sebastian shrugged. "It could have been bloodier. And I am deeply ashamed of all of you for your senselessly violent actions."

"It's good to see that that famed Chantry hypocrisy is alive and well," Anders said mockingly.

"But seriously," Emma told him. "Now that that's done, you'll leave us alone, won't you?"

Sebastian frowned at them. "Leave you alone? I don't remember agreeing to that. You guys are my friends!"


	26. Crazy Elves

They realized that they were near the qunari compound when Isabela began hiding behind Aveline who simply rolled her eyes but could not be bothered to make the pirate stop.

"Excuse me, Hawke," the qunari guard at the gate said. "The Arishok says that you have some semblance of honor and one of our patrols went missing so did you needlessly and brutally strike them down?"

Emma blinked. "So…I don't have enough honor to not kill your men for no apparent reason in the first place but enough honor that I will admit to it afterwards?"

"That is what I am hoping, yes," the qunari confirmed.

Emma shook her head. "You guys are really weird. And no, I don't know what happened. I haven't killed any of your people since that time that they tried to kill me because they allowed a qunari mage to speak to me."

"We've killed members of your species," Fenris clarified. "But none still following the Qun."

"In that case, would you mind terrible solving this murder?" the guard inquired.

"Why can't you just do it?" Aveline asked, not thrilled to be asked to do her job.

"I'm on guard duty and it would be a waste of resources," the guard explained.

"But not if we were to do it?" Anders asked, affronted.

"Not really, no," the qunari confirmed. "I mean, what do you even do all day?"

Now Emma was offended. "I'm not going to put any effort into this but if we just happen to trip over the guilty party we'll probably kill them. And we may or may not even tell you depending on how much of a jerk you're being."

"That's all I ask," the guard told her solemnly.

As they walked on, Anders told them, "Things keep getting worse. I had templars practically on my doorstep the other night."

"Actually, they were on your doorstep," Carver corrected him. "But Varric's got them so thoroughly bribed that nothing short of turning into a demon in front of Meredith will make them notice you at this point. And they were just collecting for the templar's ball. Besides, you live with a templar."

"Clearly we're not doing enough to help the mages," Anders went on as if he hadn't heard him.

"You've broke into the Gallows and freed half of the Circle last week," Varric pointed out.

"And I took all the elven ones back to my former clan," Merrill added.

Anders glowered at Emma. "I might have done more if someone had just agreed to come with me."

Emma held up her hands. "Hey, I already explained that to you. It's just too awkward to think about encountering my sister at this point so I couldn't possibly have gone."

"I don't know why you're so worried about this, Anders," Varric said, shaking his head. "Templars are kind of idiots. Must be all that lyrium. Do you remember how last week you went up to a templar and, without any proof whatsoever, accused a rabid and incorruptible templar of accepting bribes and Meredith locked him away?"

"Maybe…" Anders conceded.

"That reminds me," Emma said, her eyes widening. "I keep meaning to ask you, Carver, but it's not about mages so it's hard for me to remember."

"What do you keep meaning to ask me?" Carver asked.

"Are you becoming a lyrium addict? Because I'm really not in favor of you becoming a lyrium addict," Emma informed him.

"Wasn't that supposed to be a secret or something?" Merrill wondered.

Isabela nodded. "It was and a closely guarded secret, too. But then King Alistair of Ferelden decided to tell the world and, well, now the world knows."

"So?" Emma asked impatiently. "Are you?"

"No," Carver informed her. "I've been bringing the lyrium I'm supposed to take to Varric and he's helping me sell it on the black market."

"The city's apostates and blood mages thank you, Ser Carver," Varric said dryly.

Carver just made a face.

"Was there a point to this, Anders, or were you just looking to complain?" Isabela wondered.

"I just want to let everyone know that I'm looking into grand gestures that could spark a war and end this impasse," Anders explained.

"Explosions are always good for getting people's attention," Merrill offered.

Carver grabbed her arm. "Okay, that's quite enough of that…So, um, Isabela. Is there anything you wanted to say?"

Isabela blinked. "Not…really. Although I guess I should mention that I convinced the seneschal's tax collector to leave you alone, Fenris."

Fenris nodded. "Good. Just because I'm living in a mansion in Hightown and make a killing off the loot that we bring in, in addition to my share of the treasure from that expedition, is no reason why I should actually be expected to follow the laws of this land."

"Hear hear!" Emma cheered.

Carver laughed at the look on Fenris' face. "You're rethinking your whole philosophy right now, aren't you?"

"Just a little," Fenris admitted.

"We should totally have sex by the way," Isabela told him.

Fenris shrugged ."I'll think about it. So, Danarius is taking forever in getting here to try and get me back and I'm seriously getting tired of waiting. Since I've not been running for, oh, three years now, I'm really wondering if maybe it's not time to start acting like I'm no longer running. How, exactly, does one go about doing that?"

"Speaking only for myself," Emma told him, "I mostly just do whatever I want to and leave the consequences for lesser mortals. And Varric."

"Hey!" Carver objected.

"It's true," Varric agreed. "And for the record, Cassandra, she really said that so I'm not making this up."

"Who's Cassandra?" Anders asked him.

"You don't want to know," Varric replied. "And yes, that actually happened, too."

"Varric, just because you're a best-selling novelist doesn't mean that you need to start narrating your own life or talking to an imaginary audience," Isabela said, looking almost concerned.

"Aveline, do you realize that there's a man being knifed to death, like, ten feet away from us?" Carver inquired politely.

Aveline nodded. "I do and I blame you and your sister."

"Really? I blame you and the fact that the streets have gotten less safe since you took over from your corrupt predecessor," Carver replied. "But I suppose it's not strange that you won't take responsibility for your actions. Do tell how any of this could possibly be Emma or my fault."

"You two were poor Ferelden refugees and, while that annoyed people, they could live with it. And then the Hawkes became fabulously wealthy and successful. Good job validating the fears of every anti-Ferelden in Kirkwall," Aveline said mockingly.

"I kid you not, Aveline – a poor refugee from Ferelden herself – actually complained about Emma daring to make her life more difficult by making something of herself," Varric announced. "She literally said 'Good job validating the fears of every anti-Ferelden in Kirkwall.'"

"Varric?" Isabela asked, now looking really worried.

"A-Are you serious?" Emma couldn't believe it. "You're blaming the crime rate on my brother and I because we have the nerve to not live and die in a gutter? Like we're really just supposed to pander to the fears of the useless Kirkwallians who can't stand to see anyone else make it? I've worked hard for what I have and, you know what, I do my part cleaning up the streets whenever I leave the damn house!"

"Oh, don't you start," Aveline said dismissively.

"Leave," Emma said sharply.

Aveline drew back. "What?"

"I can't be around you right now without stabbing you repeatedly," Emma informed her. "And the next guard captain, while they might actually be competent, might require Varric to spend more on bribes and I just couldn't do that to him."

"Fine," Aveline snapped, storming away. "I have work to do anyway."

"Not that you'll actually do it," Carver called after her.

"Why is she such a bitch?" Emma fumed.

"It's not her fault," Anders opined. "She married a templar."

"Wait!" a qunari yelled, running after them.

Everyone immediately armed themselves. Well, everyone except Isabela who was now hiding behind Carver.

"I'm not going to attack you," the qunari informed them, almost offended. "Why does everyone think that I'm going to attack them?"

"Would you like the abridged version?" Varric inquired.

"Never mind about that," the qunari said dismissively. "The Arishok wants to see you."

He turned and left, evidently trusting them to go actually see the Arishok.

"Well, have fun with that," Isabela told them. "If you need me, I'll be in the Hanged Man getting wasted."

"This is ridiculous," Fenris told her. "Just return their sacred text."

"I can't," Isabela said, wincing. "It was stolen from me."

"You're kind of a terrible thief if they saw you steal that text and then you lost it yourself," Anders said bluntly.

"Oh, whatever," Isabela scoffed.

"Are you sure this isn't a little excessive?" Merrill asked uncertainly.

"I just don't feel comfortable trusting that we all look the same to the qunari," Isabela said apologetically. "So…yeah. Bye!"

"Well," Emma said, sighing. "We might as well go see what the Arishok wants lest he continue sending people after us."

They make their way to the Arishok's throne unmolested.

"It just seems strange," Carver murmured, "that with all their talk of everyone being equally important under the Qun they give their leaders thrones. And he's not even the leader of the qunari, is he, just of this particular branch."

"Don't openly judge the heavily armed and super-strengthed people who surround you in their compound," Fenris advised.

Carver shivered. "Good advice."

"Emma Hawke," the Arishok said, no inflection in his voice whatsoever. "The last time we met I did not know your name."

"That's because you never asked and didn't really seem to care," Emma explained.

"Well, now I care," the Arishok replied. "At least enough to have learned your name. You're rich now and we're still stuck here."

"Define 'stuck'," Anders told him. "Your people have started to fund your prolonged stay here by building massive boats more than capable of taking you home."

"We cannot leave until we find the pirate named 'Isabela' and reclaim what she has stolen from us," the Arishok informed them.

The party looked at each other awkwardly.

"But that is not why I brought you here," the Arishok continued. "Since you are now one of the…three humans whose name I know, I offer you a courtesy. Someone has stolen the formula for what they believe to be gaatlok but it's actually a deadly airborne poison."

"How could they make such a stupid mistake?" Varric demanded, aghast.

"It was a decoy," the Arishok said simply.

"Why didn't you use a useful formula instead of something that could kill thousands?" Carver asked, appalled.

The Arishok shrugged. "I decided whoever would steal and then try to produce such an obvious fake would deserve whatever happened to them and I will not aid you now. If you would like to save your people…Well, you had best get on it."

"How long do I have to think about it?" Emma asked him.

"Emma!" Carver exclaimed.

"What?" Emma asked defensively. "This is going to be awful."

"Yes but for all you know we'd be hit with the poison," Carver said, trying to appeal to her. "And think of all the mages who will inevitably die."

Emma's eyes flashed. "We'll do it!"

\----

"Hey!" Emma called out to the cowering dwarf before them. She turned back to her friends. "Um…What's his name again?"

"Jarvis?" Carver guessed.

"Javaris," Varric corrected.

"Please don't kill me!" Javaris begged. "I mean, I'm sure you'll do it anyway but I've never seen any reason to try and die with dignity."

"Apparently not," Fenris said, unimpressed.

"Sodding elf…" Javaris muttered.

Fenris twitched. "What was that?"

"Oh, not you!" Javaris assured him, waving his hand. "The other one."

"Me?" Merrill asked, hurt.

"No, the other one," Javaris said, beginning to sound frustrated. "The one who sent you after me in the first place."

There was an awkward silence.

"I hate to break it to you, Jarvis, but the Arishok is a qunari," Emma told him.

"Javaris. And I know that!" Javaris said irritably. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He's the one who sent us after you," Emma explained. "To get that poison that someone thinks is actually their black powder."

"I guess that might explain why that elf was trying to kill me…" Javaris said, rubbing his chin.

"What happened?" Carver asked once it became clear that nobody else was going to.

"Some elf just randomly attacked me and explained that she needed to kill me so that she could pin 'it' on me. Presumably the theft of that poison," Javaris explained. "So I hired guards and you killed them. Thanks for that."

"Think of it this way," Anders told him. "Now you don't have to pay them."

"But there's an insane elf trying to kill me!" Javaris burst out.

"You know, she's only an elf," Emma pointed out. "You really should be able to deal with this on your own."

Fenris and Merrill coughed pointedly.

"What?" Emma asked. "You've undergone some weird lyrium thing and she's a mage. Most elves aren't like that."

"So how are we supposed to find this random psychotic elf?" Carver wondered. "Are we supposed to just stick around until more of her people show up?"

Javaris shook his head. "Uh, no thanks. And I've actually got her address right here. Just so I could make sure to avoid it, you know." He quickly described where she was located. "Now if that's all…"

The members of the group each took a long, hard look at the weapons in their hands before they reluctantly turned to go.

\----

"I am not paid nearly enough for this," a frenzied guard was muttering, pacing back and forth along the street they were headed down. "And I have no back-up. How can I do this without back-up? If you want to live, stay out of here."

"That sounds more like a threat than a warning," Merrill pointed out. "And, forgive me, but you don't really like up to enforcing it right now."

"Probably not," the guard admitted, pacing even faster now.

"Mason, what's going on?" Aveline asked calmly, having rejoined them on their way back.

"And why, as the captain of the guards, don't you know something about?" Carver muttered.

"I-I don't even know how to describe it," Mason said helplessly.

"Take your time, son," Aveline said gently. "It's not like we're in a hurry at all."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Mason asked her uncertainly.

"I'm never sarcastic," Aveline assured him. "You have all the time you need to figure out how to explain it."

"Or you can let me have a go," Varric announced. "Is it 'it was like there was a poison…in the air'?"

Mason nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, that's it exactly! It killed everyone it touched instantly! And, well, drove a few people insane. I'm not sure what caused some of them to live and some to die."

"I'm a writer," Varric said modestly.

"Keep your post," Aveline told Mason. "We'll take it from here."

"So we're going off to fight a cloud of poison?" Emma asked, rubbing her forehead. "Oh, that is just lovely."

"Let's turn off those valves," Fenris suggested, spotting where the bright green air-poison seemed to be emanating from.

They split up to go down that because having them all go from one to the other would just take too much time for no real reason.

"Hey, I thought we were all supposed to die or go crazy the instant this touched us," Emma said, frowning. "And yet, here we are wading through it with no discernible negative effects."

"Perhaps it's because we're already a little…unbalanced," Anders suggested delicately.

"Unbalanced? Me?" Emma sounded shocked. "I mean, Carver, sure, but me?"

That was when the crazy people showed up and started attacking them. It was a veritable mob and there were so many that they barely even fit in the rather narrow area they were in and so the group was understandably in a hurry to kill them all and make more room. Of course, bodies take up a lot of space when lying down dead and so they still had to step over – or on – the corpses of the fallen.

Finally, once the last one was dead, a blonde elf with two minions standing right behind her appeared on the roof of one of the buildings.

"I know you…you're Emma Hawke!" the elf exclaimed.

"We're all here, too," Carver said, annoyed.

"How does everyone always know who I am?" Emma wondered. "Even the Arishok knows these days."

"I don't know about that but your friend Varric has been selling paintings of you," the elf explained.

Emma turned to stare at Varric accusingly.

"I refuse to apologize for a good idea," Varric said stubbornly. "Besides, the proceeds for that I use as my bribe fund. You know, for bribing people not to notice anything about our friends such as, say, the fact your boyfriend is a possessed apostate."

"You don't need to bribe them about me?" Emma asked curiously.

"Strangely, no," Varric replied.

"You have enemies!" the elf said happily. "You're perfect!"

"Um…I'm a little lost now," Emma admitted.

"If I kill you and blame the qunari then everyone will go after them! It's much better than killing these poor people," the elf said, shaking her head sadly.

"How will people hating Emma help with your goal of getting people to attack the qunari?" Carver wondered. "Wouldn't it be better if more people liked her?"

"I…well, she's famous!" the elf cried out.

"Why do you want to get people to attack the qunari?" Fenris wondered.

"My siblings – by which I mean elves, not literally my siblings – are leaving to go join the qunari because the qunari promise them things like equal lack of rights and no raping and murdering," the elf explained. "Since we're already losing our culture, it's like I'm losing the twice!"

"This, right here, is why what I'm doing is so important," Merrill announced. "Without me, our culture will disappear and more elves will turn out like this."

"Only the crazy ones," Fenris argued.

"So let me get this straight…the humans mistreat the elves while the qunari give them a better life so how dare they and you want bloody vengeance on the qunari?" Carver asked, having a hard time believing this.

The elf nodded. "Yes, exactly."

"You know, if you just attacked the qunari on your own, maybe got some drunks to help you, you would start a war like that and no innocents would have to die," Varric pointed out.

"Stop judging me!" the elf shouted before she attacked.

"Yes, because killing her is so much better…" Carver muttered.


	27. That Time Justice Nearly Killed a Mage

"Look, Anders, it's not that I don't trust you to lead us around blindly or anything – though there is that – but could you maybe tell us where we're going and why?" Carver requested politely.

Anders frowned. "Do you really need to know?"

"I would appreciate it," Carver confirmed.

Anders got that familiar look on his face that he always did whenever he was about to start ranting about the oppression of mages and the evilness of templars.

"Oh, now you've done it," Fenris said, groaning.

"Have you noticed how many Tranquil are in the Gallows courtyard lately?" Anders demanded.

"Forty-three as of yesterday morning," Emma answered promptly, not even needing to think about it.

"Well as of this morning it's forty-seven," Anders informed her. "And some of them passed their Harrowing making this most recent templar abuse actually illegal."

"And we're going to…what?" Isabela asked. "Have a protest or something? Are we going to get arrested?"

"I hope not," Varric said, shuddering. "Do you have any idea how expensive getting arrested is?"

"I would have thought that it's the getting un-arrested part that's the problem, not getting arrested in the first place," Isabela replied.

"That is true but what's the alternative?" Varric asked rhetorically. "Facing what passes for justice here in Kirkwall? No thanks."

"I'm not hearing this," Aveline said, covering her ears.

"Good to know," Varric said, giving her a strange look.

"Maybe you'd be able to hear better if your hands weren't over your ears," Merrill suggested. She frowned. "Of course, it's silly to suggest that since you probably can't hear my suggestion, either…"

"The Chantry are planning to have every mage in Kirkwall made Tranquil within the next three years," Anders informed them. "True story."

"Oh, it is not!" Carver snapped. "No one's ever said anything of the sort!"

"It is a disgraceful thing to lie like that just because you disgracefully hate mages," Anders said disdainfully.

Emma was frowning, though. "Are you sure, though? I mean, maybe it's just something that the higher-ups know about and someone like Carver, who is never even there, wouldn't have heard about it. I can't imagine Carver would be okay with that with Bethany in the Circle."

"I would kill every templar there myself before I let them make Bethany Tranquil," Carver said fiercely.

"It is in the early stages," Anders conceded. "And it's the brainchild of Ser Alrik."

"Alrik, Alrik…" Carver repeated to himself, trying to figure out where he recognized that name from. He snapped his fingers. "Oh, I know him! He's the guy that Meredith keeps having to yell at for being too extreme."

Everyone shuddered.

"Too extreme in the Kirkwall Chantry?" Isabela asked, her eyes wide. "Now I'm scared."

"She's probably just saying that as a cover," Anders said, not really listening. "Alrik's plan has an official-sounding name and everything! The 'Tranquil Solution.'"

"That sounds ominous," Merrill noted. "But also like it's talking about helping mages who are Tranquil not be Tranquil anymore."

"I assure you, that's not what it is," Anders told her curtly.

"I just don't understand why they wouldn't simply kill all of the mages instead of bothering to make them Tranquil," Fenris protested.

"That's illegal," Aveline pointed out.

Fenris rolled his eyes. "So is this. But while making a Harrowed mage Tranquil is always illegal, if they should provoke – or even stage – a rebellion and that'll bring down the Rite of Annulment on their heads."

"I say we go kill Ser Alrik," Emma suggested. "Even if this plan isn't real – sorry, Anders, but it must be said – then Alrik is still terrible. He thinks he's some kind of mad scientist or something."

"Oh, no," Carver corrected her. "He really is a mad scientist."

Anders smiled at Emma. "I am honored by your trust in me."

" 'And yet I will still probably betray that in the worst way at the first possible opportunity'," Carver muttered.

"HELP ME!"

"Let's go," Aveline said, suddenly looking far more invested in this.

They ran ahead and saw that, in the wilderness that was apparently right next to the Gallows, a terrified-looking girl was backing away from a smirking templar. Four faceless templars stood impassively by.

"Look, I don't care if you want your mommy to know that you're still alive and a mage or whatever," Alrik – for who else could it be? – scoffed. "You tried to run away and that means I'm going to rape you and then make you Tranquil and then probably rape you again. A lot."

Anders had been doing an admirable job of keeping Justice contained after that first flash of blue when they had heard the scream. After that, it was a lost cause, but everyone judged him far less harshly than they usually did.

When all of the templars were dead (and a lot more poured out of Maker-knew-where when the fighting started), Justice was still in control and the party watched him like they would a cornered animal.

"Anders?" Emma said hesitantly. "It's over now. You can calm down."

Justice had been very useful in the fight but seeing the way he could just rip through templars wasn't reassuring anyone at present.

"They will die!" Justice growled, waving his staff in a way that could take someone's head off if they were standing too close. "I will have every last templar for these abuses!"

"They're kind of all dead," Emma pointed out. "Well, everyone but…" Wisely, she shut up.

Justice stalked towards the girl.

"Get away from me, demon!" the girl shrieked. "Carver! Carver, help!"

"Just…stay calm," Carver advised, his eyes not leaving Justice.

"I am not a demon!" Justice growled. "Are you one of them that you would call me thus?"

"Is he seriously asking if she's a templar?" Varric asked, frowning. "That's…not good. Anders, she's a mage! She's the one you're trying to protect!"

"She is theirs. I can feel their hold on her," Justice said stubbornly.

Emma took a deep breath and then went to stand in front of the girl. "That's because she's trapped in the Circle. Remember? She was trying to leave it and then Alrik came. Don't do this, Anders. Don't strike down an innocent mage just because she's afraid."

Justice's face was impassive as he whirled his staff again and it looked like he really as going to attack Emma to get to the girl. Just before Justice could do so, however, there was another burst of magic that knocked him backwards. When he stood, it was Anders again.

The girl, still shaking, ran off.

"I'll see that she's alright," Carver said before running after her with one last, worried glance at Emma and Anders.

"Maker, no…" Anders said, staring at his own hands in horror. "If you weren't here…"

"But I was, Anders," Emma pointed out seriously, tilting his face up to look at her. "I was and nothing happened."

"I…I have to get out of here," Anders decided. With that he fled and Emma ran after him.

"So…I guess we're done for the day," Varric deduced.

Merrill sighed and shook her head. "And everyone acts like blood magic is the problem."

"Probably because blood magic often leads to demon possessions like this one," Varric offered.

\----

When Emma returned home later that night, Carver was waiting for her on her bed.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she asked tiredly.

"As it happens, I did knock," Carver said mildly. "But you weren't here."

Emma shrugged. "Fair enough."

"I see that you're still alive," Carver noted.

Emma sighed and sat down on the bed beside her brother. "Of course I am. I just went off to calm my boyfriend down, not anything particularly dangerous."

"It might not be if he weren't possessed," Carver said gently.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Not this again."

"He almost killed Ella," Carver reminded her.

"I…I know," Emma admitted. "But that's not him, it's Justice."

"Even so," Carver said, willing to let her have that one, "if Justice attacks you then will it really matter?"

"I can handle Justice," Emma said firmly.

"Maybe you can," Carver agreed. "And I have to agree with Anders in that, from what I've seen, he's not one to stab you when you aren't paying attention or something. If he comes after you then you'll know it. But if it comes down to it, could you kill him?"

"It wouldn't come to that," Emma insisted.

"That's not a yes," Carver pointed out.

"It's not a no, either," Emma countered.

"I thought I was worried about you before," Carver said, smiling sadly. "But now I know that Justice can confuse the mages he tries to protect for templars just because they don't automatically fell down in benediction and I really know what it means to be worried."

"It's not that bad," Emma insisted, not quite looking at him. "She's still alive."

"It was a very close thing," Carver told her.

"I know what I'm doing," Emma said stubbornly.

Carver sighed. "Just…just be careful, okay?"

"I will," Emma promised.

He looked around. Ser Pounce-a-lot was sleeping by the fire. "Where is Anders, anyway?"

"Uncle Gamlen set up one of the guest bedrooms for him," Emma replied. "Apparently he's still punishing himself or something. So…Ella, was it? She knew your name earlier. Who is she? And where did she go?"

"I sent her home but she knows that she can't stay there. She's a friend of Bethany's," Carver informed her. "Bethany's kind of her mentor, actually. I saw the letter that she wrote you, she did mention Ella. Bethany's kind of a legend in the Gallows, you know."

"Oh," Emma said, trying to sound casual.

Carver nodded. "All those years on the run with no possession or blood magic. And then there's the fact that she killed, what, fifty demons during her Harrowing before Meredith sent Orsino into the Fade to tell her to stop showing off and hurry up."

Emma almost smiled at that. "That sounds like Bethany."

"You really should go see her, you know," Carver said delicately.

Emma stared up at the ceiling and didn't say a word.

\----

It turned out that Alrik really was the only one who thought that the 'Tranquil Solution' was a good idea and Meredith was getting so annoyed by his constant requests to change her mind that she was threatening to fire him if he wouldn't leave her alone.

Anders just felt so bad about the whole situation that, for once, everyone tactfully decided not to bring it up again. He knew the truth now so why rub it in?

"You!" a random dwarf said as they walked past him. "This is all your fault!"

"Out of curiosity, doe he actually mean that or is he just drunk and blaming whoever happens to walk by for his problems?" Isabela asked.

"You and that blighter Varric Tethras," the dwarf continues to grumble.

"Okay, that one is probably me," Varric remarked. "What did we supposedly do to you? And are you sure you're not talking about my brother?"

"Of course not!" the dwarf said, offended. "If I meant him t hen I would have said him. My name is Yevhen and I'm a member in good standing of the Dwarves Merchant Guild. Not that that matters to people like you."

"People like you?" Emma repeated, insulted. "You mean non-dwarves? I find that racist."

Yevhen rolled his eyes. "Oh, brilliant, a human crying racism."

"What do you want?" Aveline asked him before a fight could break out.

"My fully-grown adult sons heard tales of your glory and treasure and ignored all the inconvenient parts like people dying and being trapped underground facing ancient demons and they had no choice but to rush off to the Deep Roads to get themselves killed," Yevhen explained.

"I'm really not seeing how this is even slightly our fault," Fenris said, annoyed.

"Or why you're not looking for them yourself," Merrill added. "They are your children."

"I can't go into the Deep Roads! That's like signing my own death warrant!" Yevhen exploded.

"Well, I don't really care about your stupid sons and they're stupid problems brought on by their own stupidity so…" Emma said, turning to go.

"You have to go find them!" Yevhen shrieked.

"I'm on it," Carver assured him.

"Really?" Emma asked, surprised. "You're that dead-set on going to the Deep Roads?"

Carver snorted. "Hardly. I'll just tell the templars that there's an escaped mage down there and that those dwarves might know something."

"That's being dishonest, Carver," Aveline said disapprovingly.

"It was that or wait for the guards to notice," Carver said unrepentantly. "I'm choosing the option that I feel would get us results this century."

\----

The templars found all three dwarves alive in short order although they did not consider it a victory since they never did find that mage and Carver kept half of the reward money. But then, templars really weren't ever a happy lot so it was not such a big deal.

"Look, I don't think I'm being unreasonable here," Aveline said one day in her office. "I just want you to give guardsman Donnic this secret gift and not tell anyone who it's from and for you to not ask me any questions because it's none of your business. Just because I hate you doesn't mean that this is at all strange."

"I don't know, I kind of think it might be," Emma said, reluctantly accepting the package that had been shoved into her hands.

"Now will you do it or not?" Aveline demanded.

"Maybe," Emma said. "But if he's here and just down the hall then why can't you do it?"

"I just can't," Aveline said, turning red.

"And why do you always call him 'Guardsman Donnic'? It's really weird and makes me think you have a thing for him and are for some reason trying to cover it up by pretending to feel more formality than you really do," Emma told her.

"Just go!" Aveline cried out. "Why did I ever ask you?"

"Because no one else likes you any better than I do?" Emma suggested.

"Out!" Aveline shouted.

Shrugging, Emma made her way to the other side of the guard area. Unfortunately, while there were several guards, she had no idea who this 'Donnic' was.

"Excuse me, is anyone here named 'Donnic'?" she asked loudly.

A very boring man stepped forward. "That would be me. Why?"

"Here," Emma said, handing him the package from Aveline.

"For me?" Donnic asked, surprised. He accepted the package and opened it. "A copper relief of what appears to be…marigolds. And look, it even helpfully says 'marigolds.' Why would you give me this, Serrah Hawke?"

Emma made a face. "Wow, what a lame present."

"Not that I disagree but if you don't like it, why would you give it to me? Do you not like me and are trying to re-gift something?" Donnic asked. "Or are you in love with me or something? Because I'm not sure we've ever spoken outside of that time we met and you made fun of me for getting beaten up."

"Oh, no, not me!" Emma asked, looking horrified. "I have a boyfriend I'm happy with and you, I definitely don't like. Aveline is probably in love with you but she evidently fails at courting. If you like her, let her know. If you don't, also let her know. If you don't do either of these, I foresee a lot of marigolds in your future."

"Emma!" Aveline cried out, scandalized, from the other room. "You weren't supposed to tell him that!"

"I…I'm sure we both have things to do," Donnic said, looking suspicious and not at all convinced that Emma didn't inexplicably have a thing for him. "Of various importance, I'm sure."

With that, he walked away leaving Emma standing there fuming.

"What a complete and utter jerk!" she cried out. "He and Aveline might actually be perfect for each other after all! Honestly, just because I don't actually have a job doesn't mean that his time is more valuable than mine! How many people has he killed lately? Or, um, saved or whatever."

"I think he was actually talking about your time being more important," one of the other guards offered.

"Can't hear you, too busy being far more important than Guardsman sodding Donnic," Emma declared dramatically as she strode from the room, completely indifferent as to whether or not Aveline and Donnic ended up together. Or, mostly indifferent. "I suppose at least it's not another templar this time…"


	28. Slave? What Slave?

"Seriously," Emma complained as they walked along the wounded coast. "The only good thing about him is that he looks a little bit like Loghain."

Carver rolled his eyes. "We get it. You don't like Aveline's new boyfriend. Maybe you should have thought about that before setting them up."

Emma was outraged. "Oh, I did not! That's lies and slander right there, I tell you. Lies and slander."

"Halt!" a soldier-type man with a ridiculous mustache shouted in his best official-sounding voice. "You are in possession of stolen property!"

"Hunters," Fenris marveled. He looked as though he had been dreading this day just as much as he had been longing for it.

The group members looked at each other in confusion.

"Yes," Varric agreed finally. "We are. Would you like to be more specific about what, exactly, you're looking for? Not that you're likely to get it back, mind you, but we're kind of curious."

The hunter rolled his eyes but he complied with, "That slave."

Fenris tensed up but Emma was honestly confused. "What slave? I think we'd know if there were a slave here." Her eyes hardened. "Are you talking about mages? Because I'll have you know that we have been called some terrible things in our time but not even Meredith is willing to go that far. Not yet, at least."

"No, I'm not talking about mages," the hunter snapped.

"Well, then, you must have the wrong group of random travelers," Emma said, smiling.

"No, we mean the elf!" the hunter cried out.

Emma glanced at Merrill. "I thought you said you weren't talking about mages."

"I am not a mage, Emma," Fenris reminded her.

"Half a mage," Varric spoke up.

"Agree to disagree," Fenris said, glaring at him.

"Are you talking about Fenris?" Emma asked skeptically.

"Of course we are!" the hunter said, beginning to get annoyed.

"Well, you can't have him," Emma said flatly, crossing her arms.

Fenris couldn't believe it. "R-really?"

"Of course," Emma confirmed. "Anders and I talked it over and realized that slavery is like what the Chantry does to mages."

"Not quite as bad but still," Anders piped up.

"So if you're slavers then I'm going to kill you all," Emma announced merrily before holding up her hands and causing them all to be struck by lightning. "Now where were we?"

"I think that we were wandering aimlessly," Merrill informed her.

"Hey, look," Isabela said, walking over to one of the charred mercenaries. "This one's still alive."

Fenris marched over to the man and banged his head against the sand. "Where is he?"

"Please don't kill me!" the man begged.

"That wasn't an answer," Fenris pointed out testily.

"I don't know! Probably back in Tevinter somewhere," the man said desperately. "Hadriana brought us. She's holed up in the caves north of the city. I can show you the way."

Fenris promptly slit the man's throat. "No thank you. I know the way."

Isabela whistled appreciatively. "Bad-ass, Fenris. I approve."

Fenris appeared not to hear her. "I was a fool to think that I was free. They'll never let me be!"

"Weren't you wishing for this day to just come already not that long ago?" Carver asked. "So you could stop waiting and actually kill them?"

"Yes," Fenris admitted. "But I'm still angry that it's actually happening."

"Who is Hadriana?" Emma asked curiously.

"My old master's apprentice," Fenris spat. "She's a sniveling social climber who would sell her own children to please Danarius."

"And now she's going to die," Emma said calmly. "Let's go."

Fenris gave her a strange look. "I still don't know why you want to help me. We don't exactly like each other."

"We didn't like each other when I taught you to read, either," Emma pointed out.

"Why?" Fenris demanded.

Emma just shrugged, unable to find the words.

Fortunately, that subject was quickly forgotten about as they passed Donnic and Aveline having an awkward walk together.

"It's such a nice night for an evening," Aveline was saying.

Emma covered her ears and started running. "I do not need to hear this, I do not need to hear this!"

\----

"Let's be careful, there are a lot of protections here," Fenris cautioned them.

"I don't believe in being careful and, as a mage, I never need to," Emma said boldly. "Sometimes templars make things inconvenient but I can handle that."

"I really hope this isn't a waste of time," Fenris said, sighing.

"Really?" Anders asked, rolling his eyes. "We're here to deal with your past and you're the one complaining that it might be a waste of time? The rest of us aren't really getting anything out of this, you know."

"And if this is, in fact, a waste of time then I won't be getting anything out of it, either," Fenris replied.

They walked along, killing people as they jumped out at them.

"Seriously, this is a cave?" Emma asked skeptically. "This is so not a cave."

"It looks like a cave," Carver pointed out.

"From the outside, maybe, but this is a freaking labyrinth," Emma insisted.

Finally, they found someone who did not attack them on sight, a scrawny little elf.

"Are you hurt? Did they touch you?" Fenris asked immediately.

"She appears to be fine," Varric diagnosed. "Maybe a little underfed but fine. Unless you count the fact that she's probably traumatized."

"They cut Pop up," she said, sounding on the verge of hysteria. "Bled him. They're killing everyone!"

"Why would they do this?" Fenris looked genuinely bewildered.

Merrill really did not want to be the one to have to say it, for obvious reasons, but it really looked like nobody else was going to. "Probably because you were coming and they were planning on using blood magic."

Fenris' expression turned stricken.

"Not that this is your fault or anything!" she hastened to add.

"I say we blame demons," Anders suggested brightly.

"I don't understand why they would do this," the elf said, hugging herself. "The magister loved Papa's soup. Everything was fine until today!"

Pained, Fenris said quietly, "It wasn't. You just didn't know any better."

"Are you my master now?" the elf said, stepping towards them with an eager and hopeful expression on her face.

Fenris looked like he might be sick. "NO!"

"But…I can cook and clean," the elf said desperately. "What else will I do?"

"Emma, do something," Fenris ordered.

"I could give her money?" Emma offered uncertainly.

"That might not be the best idea," Carver said, shaking his head. "She doesn't understand how freedom works and you just want to send her into the world with money she doesn't understand? She'll be taken advantage of in a heartbeat."

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Emma asked, frustrated. "Send her away with nothing? Own somebody?"

"The mansion could always use another maid," Carver told her.

"Really? Thank you!" the elf started to run off.

"Ask about the Hawkes in the old Amell place!" Carver called after her. "Do you think she heard us?"

Emma shrugged. "If not she'll figure it out. Probably. She knows what we look like at least?"

"You better not have just made her your slave," Fenris growled at them.

"We didn't, we promise," Emma assured him. "Too much similarity to the Cirlce, remember?"

Fenris' eye twitched. "I remember that you seem to believe that."

They continued through the freakishly elaborate cave until Fenris finally recognized one of the mages around and growled out, "Hadriana!"

Obligingly, the party killed everyone else and mostly left her for Fenris to deal with. He eventually managed to get the upper hand and she was knocked backwards, her staff flying from her fingers as she fell.

"Stop!" she pleaded, looking terrified and quite pathetic. "You do not want me dead!"

"Is she trying to hypnotize Fenris?" Merrill wondered. "Because I do not think that it is going to work."

"Yes I do," Fenris said bluntly. "The only person I would possibly want to kill more is Danarius and he's not here. And if you were both here then I'd still kill both of you because I'm not about to be pushed into any false dichotomies."

Varric frowned. " 'False dichotomies'? What, exactly, were you having him read?"

Emma shrugged. "My father's old mage texts. Those are always pretty intellectual."

"But I have information, elf, and I will trade it for my life," Hadriana said pleadingly.

"Seriously, when you say 'elf' we don't know if you're talking about Fenris or Merrill, you've got to be more specific," Emma said straight-faced.

"Really?" Hadriana asked skeptically.

"Merrill, can you think of any information that Hadriana here might possess that you could possibly want?" Emma wondered.

Merrill frowned. "I do not believe so but-"

"Fine, Fenris, then," Hadriana said, cutting her off.

"The location of Danarius?" Fenris scoffed. "He's probably in Tevinter and at any rate I'm not going to go chasing after him. He will eventually come to me, especially once I killed you."

"No, not that," Hadriana assured him. "You have a sister and she is alive. Let me go and I'll tell you where she is."

"No, I don't," Fenris said automatically.

"How do you know?" Isabela asked reasonably. "You can't remember your past."

"Why should I believe you?" Fenris challenged.

"Because if you do and you're wrong then all that happens is you'll have to wait to kill me until I come back here," Hadriana pointed out. "But if you don't believe me and you're wrong then you'll never see her again. You'll never even know her name."

Fenris hesitated and approached her.

"So I have your word then?" Hadriana said hopefully. "I tell you and you let me go?"

"Yes," Fenris said shortly. "You have my word."

"Her name is Varania. She is in Qarinus serving a magister by the name of Ahriman," Hadriana revealed.

"Why do you just know this?" Varric wondered. "Am I the only one who finds this creepy?"

"A servant?" Fenris was surprised. "Not a slave?"

"She's not a slave, not anymore," Hadriana promised.

"I believe you," Fenris realized. His markings flashed and Emma knew what he was going to do.

Her magic shot out and struck Hadriana dead before Fenris had the opportunity to.

He burrowed his brow. "What-?"

"You gave your word," Emma said simply. "And you know how I feel about keeping your word."

\----

Fenris was this close to driving Emma crazy and making her take drastic measures due to all of his indecisiveness about whether his sister was even real or if Danarius had her or if he should contact her when the letter from the viscount came.

It probably wasn't the best idea to let Emma go and face him alone but Carver hadn't seen the letter and so she took off before he noticed.

The viscount didn't turn around when she came in and she hadn't talked to his seneschal so Emma wasn't sure how he had known it was her. Or maybe he was just complaining at everyone today.

"Years of nice, quiet anxiety...gone. Along with a whole street," he groused.

"It's too bad you couldn't have done anything to try and salvage the situation and left it up to the qunari to bring me in," Emma said sarcastically. "I bet it was below your station, huh?"

"Are you ever going to let that go?" the viscount demanded.

"I wasn't planning on it, no," Emma informed him. "And that street's not gone. It's inhabitants are a little crazy and dead but it's perfectly habitable again. This city's kind of overpopulated anyway so it's not really a big loss."

"You're heartless," the viscount accused.

Emma glared at him. "I saved them. All you're doing is whining about it afterwards."

"And it was all a mad elf pushed by zealots probably hidden in the very groups I have to appease," the viscount sighed.

"I really don't care about your problems," Emma said bluntly.

Another sigh. "Nobody does."

"I don't care about that, either," Emma announced. "And I'm not so sure about 'hidden.' Have you looked into Sister Petrice yet? She's kind of a bitch."

"I'm far too busy to investigate these matters or even to delegate that to someone else," the viscount claimed.

Emma snorted. "Really? What is it that you do all day?"

"Mostly, I worry about impending crisis while failing to act on them and hoping that some outside agent, such as yourself, will deal with them so I can continue to fret in peace," the viscount explained, finally turning around to face her.

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're kind of useless, aren't you?"

"Meredith personally killed my predecessor," the viscount said defensively. "I really would like to avoid his fate."

"There's a good chance any random citizen of Kirkwall will snap and kill you at some point," Emma told him.

"Please, no random citizen of Kirkwall could get in here," the viscount insisted.

"I'm in here," Emma pointed out.

The viscount unconsciously took a step back.

"And you realize that you have no guards at your door, right? Despite the fact that the guards apparently all live here and are just down the hall?" Emma asked.

"Guard Captain Aveline assured me that they're quite busy," the viscount said somewhat stiffly.

Emma shook her head. "Doing what, I can't tell you. So what's the problem?"

"The qunari won't leave, the mages keep going crazy and getting possessed, there's no oversight on who becomes a Tranquil and literally any templar-recruit can turn any mage into one at this point, we have highly unstable people in positions of great power, I have no power, there's a serial killer running loose, we still have too many people, I've heard unfavorable comparisons about Darktown to Dustown in Orzammar, I-" the viscount burst out.

Emma held up a hand. "Yeah, don't care. That is your problem and not mine. What, specifically, did you need to see me about? And if you just repeat that list then, by the Maker, I will just stab you right now."

The viscount gulped. "R-Right. I had suspected that the Arishok had no plans to leave because, regardless of what everybody seems to think, I am not actually an idiot. I hadn't realized that this was annoying for him as well."

"He can't leave until this sacred text that a friend of mine stole from them and then lost is returned," Emma explained.

"Really?" the viscount asked, wide-eyed. "Is anyone doing anything to find it?"

"Um…she might be," Emma said, shrugging. "I really don't know. I'm certainly not."

"Despite your best efforts, the situation is escalating," the viscount told her seriously.

Emma frowned, trying to remember when she had ever done anything to try and ease relations with the qunari.

"A qunari delegation paid me a visit. It was tentative. Civil. Hopeful," the viscount said wistfully.

"How sure are you that they weren't just scouting out weak points in your defenses and learning how best to conquer this city?" Emma asked him.

The viscount sighed. "Oh, I don't know. It doesn't matter now because they were somehow kidnapped on their way back and now it's a huge mess. The Arishok doesn't know yet but when he does…It's ridiculous! They left this room but the guards swear up and down that they never left the building."

"Maybe the guards just weren't paying attention or weren't there," Emma suggested. "The guards are almost unbelievably bad at their jobs. And how can qunari, even if they were somehow unarmed, get kidnapped by a bunch of non-qunari? Maybe mages could do it but they wouldn't, it would be Chantry people."

"I don't know and insulting the delegates won't smooth the situation over any with the Arishok!" the viscount shouted at her.

"Again, that is not my problem," Emma pointed out.

"Just find them, okay? Preferably alive. We do not want there to be an all-out war no matter how much we would all desperately like the qunari to leave our city," the viscount said firmly.

"Sooner or later, they're going to get sick of us and kill us all," Emma said flatly.

"You're the one whose friend started all of this," the viscount countered. "Talk to my seneschal to learn more."

Emma was not about to be fobbed off on the likes of Seneschal Bran or whatever his name was. On the off-chance that a guard had actually been present and noticed and thus might be involved (or just really bad at his job), they'd probably be at the Hanged Man.

Maybe while she was there Varric or Isabela could explain to her why she was getting involved with this in the first place.


	29. Merrill the Evil Blood Mage

"Seriously, what's going on?" Carver demanded as they neared the Dalish encampment.

"What makes you think that something's going on?" Emma asked, feigning innocence.

"You actually agreed to help Merrill with something," Carver pointed out. "No complaints, no insults, nothing."

"I'm not a terrible person, you know," Emma sniffed. "And I'm certainly not avoiding doing a favor for someone who doesn't deserve it."

Carver tactfully chose not to comment on that. "Do you even know what we're doing here?"

"Um…pick-pocketing the Keeper for some mirror-fixing device?" Emma guessed.

"We can't pick-pocket Keeper Marethari!" Merrill cried out, scandalized.

"So you're just going to ask her?" Emma asked, surprised. "Then what do you need all of us with you for?"

"Well…she'll probably make me 'prove myself' or something stupid so having you around to help kill things will be useful," Merrill replied.

"I had thought that the Dalish moved around a lot more frequently than this," Fenris spoke up.

Merrill nodded. "Oh, they do. Staying here for four years is just unheard of."

"And yet…it's happening," Fenris pointed out.

Merrill shrugged. "Don't ask me; I'm not a part of the clan anymore."

They approached Marethari very slowly considering how reluctant Merrill was to even get near her.

"You've returned to us!" Marethari said joyfully. "Does this mean you're done being stupid and ready to come back home? We're still waiting for you to do just that."

"No, it does not!" Merrill exclaimed. She turned to the group, "See, this is why I didn't want to come."

"Maybe if you came more often then she'd stop thinking this was why you were here," Varric suggested.

Merrill shook her head. "No, I could come twice a day and she'd still ask me every time I showed up."

"Then why are you here?" Marethari asked, crossing her arms and frowning in disapproval.

Merrill found herself unable to face that disapproval and so glanced at a spot over Marethari's left shoulder. "I seek the ancient carving blade."

"Merrill, why are you so eager to get possessed by a demon?" Marethari demanded.

"I'm not, I won't, and you can disapprove if you want but I have a right to it!" Merrill insisted.

"Dalish have a right to it in exchange for a task," Marethari corrected. "Not ungrateful city elves determined to bring doom upon us all."

Merrill's eyes widened. "City elves? How can you even say that, Keeper?"

"Well, there's the fact that you left our clan to go live in the slums," Marethari pointed out.

"Once a Dalish, always a Dalish!" Merrill cried out.

"Not really, no. Once you stop acting like a Dalish then you're kind of no longer a Dalish," Marethari told her. "And if you have human children then you're dead to me."

"We are not nearly there yet!" Carver exclaimed.

Marethari closed her eyes, pained. "Merrill…"

"Don't judge me!" Merrill ordered.

"Even though I do not have to do this since you're not a Dalish and I know that it will just bring ruin about us all if you succeed, I will still give you a task," Marethari said gravely.

"So naturally the task you give her will be an impossible one like 'get the viscount to grow a backbone' or 'get rid of the qunari', right?" Varric asked knowingly.

"Why that…that just wouldn't be fair, now would it?" Marethari asked, shocked.

"That's kind of the point," Varric murmured.

"No, no, we can't have that," Marethari insisted, shaking her head at the very thought. "There is a giant creature in the mountains who has killed three of our own. If you kill that and bring back proof of the deed then I will let you have the carving tool and thus enable your future demon possession and possibly the deaths of all of our clan."

"Thank you, Keeper," Merrill said grudgingly, still not looking at her.

They set off up the mountain, pointedly ignoring all the whispers and glares that followed them. Merrill was evidently not popular with her former clansmen and humans were never welcome among the Dalish, especially if they had one Dalish parent like Feynriel had. No wonder he set off for Tevinter.

"So…do we even know what we're looking for?" Aveline inquired.

"No but I'm sure once we find something sufficiently terrifying we'll know," Merrill said optimistically.

"Not for nothing, Merrill, but your kind regularly gets killed by 'giant' spiders smaller than we are," Emma pointed out.

"They're still giant compared to normal spiders," Isabela told her.

"Yeah, but they still don't really seem deserving of the moniker of 'giant' spiders," Emma replied.

"If we cannot find anything scarier than a giant spider after we've examined this whole area then this will have been easier than we expected and I'll to remember to be horribly offended at being coddled and given busywork," Merrill announced.

"Though let's try to do that after you get that mirror carver thing, okay?" Carver said, squeezing her hand. "We wouldn't want her to change her mind."

"She couldn't change her mind," Merrill assured him. "It would be dishonorable."

"But why risk it?" Carver asked. "And even if she doesn't change her mind, if you start an argument before you get it then you can't leave until she says you can. If you start one after you have it, you can leave whenever you please."

Merrill beamed at him. "You're so wise, Carver!"

Emma just rolled her eyes. "Only comparatively, Merrill. Only comparatively."

\----

"Did you hear that?" Isabela asked. "I think someone's there."

"If anyone's there then it's safe to come out," Anders called. "Unless you're a templar or a giant spider or something in which case it's only fair to let you know that we're going to kill you on the spot. But in that case, you really can't hide from us so you might as well just face your fate and come out anyway."

Slowly, an elf stepped out from the shadows. "Praise Andraste! I mean, er, the Creators. Andraste the Creator?"

"I don't think that's quite right…" Merrill told him.

The man's eyes widened in horror. "Merrill? Get back!"

"Wow, these people really don't like you, do they?" Emma asked merrily.

"And to think the Keeper wants me to come back," Merrill muttered. "Calm down, Pol."

"Nope, sorry, can't listen, too overwhelmed by the sound of your evil blood magic, you evil blood mage!" Pol screamed, slowly backing away.

"Seriously, kid, maybe you should run away towards the direction of the exit, not back where you were just fleeing," Varric advised.

"You don't know what she's done!" Pol shouted.

"We probably do, actually," Anders corrected him. "And we hate her for it, don't worry. But it's still a bad idea to go back that way."

Carver glared at him. "Some of you hate her for it."

"True," Anders acknowledged, "but you hate mages so that doesn't count."

"I'm dating Merrill," Carver reminded him.

"Blood mages aren't real mages," Anders decided.

Emma nodded her head. "They're really not."

Pol took that opportunity to run back the way he'd come.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Not that I care if this idiot dies but he might have stumbled upon whatever it is we're supposed to be killing so let's go take a look."

They arrived just in time to watch Pol literally run into the giant creature and swiftly end up impaled.

"What a moron," Fenris said, not sympathetic in the slightest.

"Pol!" Merrill cried out, horrified.

"You're too good of a person," Isabela informed her.

"Okay fine," Emma conceded as the multi-story spider approached them. "I guess that does deserve to be called a giant spider."

\----

"I still don't see why you couldn't have tried to heal him," Merrill complained as they made their way back to the camp.

"Because it would have been a waste of time," Anders explained. "He was run straight through and his heart was literally crushed."

"Would it have been any more of a waste of time than arguing with me over the body for twenty minutes was?" Merrill challenged.

"Well…probably not," Anders conceded. "But by that point it would have been a matter of enabling you and that's just not healthy."

"Hear that, Emma?" Carver called to her. "Anders doesn't think that enabling people is healthy."

"That's fascinating, it really is," Emma deadpanned.

Marethari looked up as they came nearer.

"Doesn't she ever do anything all day besides standing there? Don't any of these people do anything?" Emma wondered quietly.

"The giant spider is dead," Carver announced. "Please tell me that that was what we had to kill and not something else because that really took forever to bring down."

"Oh, thank the creators," Marethari said, hardly sounding enthused. "This is such a good thing."

"You really don't want to part with that carving tool, do you?" Aveline asked rhetorically.

"I don't know what you mean…" Marethari said, not looking at them.

"We lost Pol, you know," Merrill said, beginning to get angry. "We didn't have to. It was so senseless and wasteful. He had managed to escape but then he saw me and he ran back the way he came and was slaughtered. He was more scared of me than of the creature who didn't even stop when it killed him. What have you been telling people about me?"

"Nothing," Marethari replied, sighing heavily. "Nothing but the truth."

"And what truth is this?" Merrill demanded. "The truth that I'm somehow a monster?"

Marethari shook her head. "No, the truth that you're a blood mage consorting with a demon to fix a mirror that took two of our own from us and may yet bring back the corruption or get possessed and kill us all."

"Keeper!" Merrill cried out, appalled.

"I am the Keeper. It is my duty to warn them of the potential consequences. That they are terrified by you is your doing and not mine," Marethari claimed. "But I do not want you to think that the fact that everyone hates and fears you means that it is too late for you to give up this poisonous dream and come back to us."

"I rather think it is," Merrill said icily. "Where is my carving tool?"

Marethari sighed again and took a tool out of her pouch. "Here it is. Merrill-"

Merrill took the tool and then walked away, ignoring the Keeper calling after her.

\----

"Are you seriously paying for your drinks in sovereign?" Emma couldn't believe it.

"That's right, friend, tonight I'm rich," the man at the bar said happily. "And all I had to do was turn my head."

"You're an idiot," Varric said, disgusted.

"What? Why?" the man asked, upset.

"Well, to begin with if you keep spending money like that then you're only going to be rich for tonight," Varric told him. "And then there's the fact that you were clearly bribed and you're practically bragging about it."

"I…no," the man denied.

"Aveline, it's time to actually make use of your position of Captain of the Guards," Carver informed her. "And maybe then, since Emma wont' just tell us what's going on, we can find out."

Aveline stepped over to her man and the other party members politely looked away while she worked him over.

"I commandeered his coin purse to add to the guard budget," Aveline announced when she was done, pocketing said pouch. "And he's so fired."

"Do you know who did it?" Isabela asked her.

Aveline shook his head. "No, he was stupid enough no to get a name. He was a templar, though, with the seal of the grand cleric."

"I knew it! The grand cleric is not to be trusted!" Anders crowed triumphantly, looking far happier about this than it made sense to be given what a bad thing it would be for mages if the grand cleric was as zealous as Meredith.

"I'm not so sure about that, Blondie," Varric prevaricated. "After all, I run into counterfeit seals all over the place and no one actually believes that anyone would do that so people barley look at the seal."

"So…what was he bribed to do?" Fenris wondered.

"Apparently there was a qunari delegation sent to the viscount and, on their way out, they were ambushed and kidnapped by templars while that sorry excuse for a guard pretended not to notice and lied to the viscount about it," Aveline explained. "And the viscount evidently already asked Emma to look into it three days ago."

"I was busy," Emma said unrepentantly.

Merrill's eyes widened. "Oh, this is all my fault! You were so busy helping me that-"

"Trust me," Carver cut her off. "None of this is your fault. It's my sister who didn't care about this diplomatic crisis that could get us all killed. I should have known when you agreed to help Merrill. In fact, I did know. I just never imagined that it could be something like this."

"Your mistake," Emma said coolly.

"So why didn't you do something?" Aveline demanded. "The viscount himself asked you to! Personally!"

"I don't like him," Emma replied. "He's kind of an ass."

"I feel sorry for him," Anders told her.

Emma drew back in surprise. "You do?"

Anders nodded. "Oh, yes. All that power and he can't use it because of the Chantry and the templars?"

"Not everything is about mages, Anders," Fenris said curtly.

"Everything in your world is, the same as mine," Anders retorted.

\----

"Are you seriously taking the Captain of the Guard to accuse the Grand Cleric of conspiring to abduct qunari?" Aveline asked, pained.

"I'm hardly 'taking' you anywhere," Emma pointed out."You could have waited outside or gone home or whatever."

"Someone's got to keep an eye on you," Aveline replied.

"That's what I've got Carver and Varric for," Emma told her.

"That would be fine, Emma, except that Carver is a tit and do you have any idea what's in those 'books' that Varric keeps publishing?" Aveline demanded.

"I'm one of his best customers!" Emma bragged.

Aveline narrowed her eyes. "Then you should be aware that he's incorporated Guardsmen Donnic and I into his latest work of 'art'."

Emma looked suddenly sickened. "No offense, Varric, but I don't think that I can read your books anymore."

"She's...exaggerating," Varric claimed.

For once, the Grand Cleric wasn't in plain sight just standing around and letting the city go to pieces around her.

While they sent a messenger to summon her, Petrice approached them.

"Well, well, if it isn't Emma Hawke," she said, her voice dripping with distaste.

"You seem to really hate me, Sister Petrice," Emma noted, surprised. "Which, given that you're the one who screwed us over, really surprises me."

"It's Mother Petrice now," Petrice corrected. "Can't you see my fabulous mother robes?"

Emma shrugged. "Eh, I don't really keep up with the Chantry or its fashions."

"And it's nothing personal, I just hate everyone in the lower class and I especially hate people who scrape and cheat their way into a higher social order," Petrice sneered.

"My mother is Lady Amell," Emma pointed out.

"She married a mage so it doesn't count," Petrice claimed.

Carver rolled his eyes. "Oh, whatever. Are we to take that you're responsible for this outrageous and frankly idiotic qunari abduction?"

Petrice hesitated. "Define 'behind'."

"Is all of this your fault?" Carver demanded.

Petrice opened her mouth.

"If you ask me to define 'fault' then, by the Maker, I will let Anders kill you right now," Carver threatened.

Anders perked up at that.

Petrice coughed awkwardly. "That wasn't what I was going to say…"

"Tell us what's going on or we will take the matter up with the Grand Cleric," Isabela told her.

Petrice laughed. "Like you could even get in to see her."

"Someone who believes himself to be our friend is practically stalking her," Fenris informed her.

Petrice hissed. "Sebastian! Fine, well I don't want to get into any trouble for my actions so I will totally sell out my underling. Ser Varnell, the templar that was guarding me when we last met, is holding them hostage and I know exactly where."

"That's great," Varric said, nodding. "Let's just tell the viscount or have Aveline send in her guardsmen or-"

Petrice shook her head. "No, stupid plan."

"How is that a stupid plan?" Varric demanded.

"That runs the risk of getting them out of there alive," Petrice explained. " Meet me at this location and you'll see what's been going on." She handed them a map.

"Is there any point in asking why, exactly, you just happen to have a map to the qunari's location on you?" Emma inquired.

"No, not really," Petrice replied. Her eyes widened as she saw the Grand Cleric approaching them out of the corner of her eye. "Go, go, go!"

"If it weren't for the fact that we don't actually want to talk to the Grand Cleric we would just stay here, you know," Anders informed her. "But as it is…"

"I still don't see why any of this is my problem," Emma complained.


	30. Pettiness Pays Off

Petrice didn't actually show up but they could hear crazed ranting so they decided to go in anyway.

"Like any beast, remove the fangs and they are lost," Varnell was bragging in that annoying nasally voice of his. "They are weak before the faithful of the Maker."

"Oh, is that how crazy people see the situation?" Emma sounded fascinated as she stepped forward to confront him. "Because here in the land of sanity, we would call it 'people who are unarmed are usually at a disadvantage to the armed' and 'they were ambushed while unarmed and there is nothing to be proud of in that.'"

"Yeah…well…you're a qunari-lover!" Varnell accused.

"Not really, actually, they kind of annoy me," Emma admitted. "And I'm still not sure why I'm here but I hate templars and so I may as well kill you."

"Ser Varnell!" Petrice arrived then, full of righteous – if totally hypocritical – fury. "I'm here to pretend that I had nothing to do with it and offer you up as a scapegoat for Hawke if you can't kill her."

"Yes, Mother Petrice," Varnell said obediently.

"You're not fooling anyone," Anders told her.

"You might kill me," Varnell said, trying to sound brave, "but I'll kill these qunari friends of yours before you can stop me!"

He took out a blade and stepped nearer to the one in the center.

"Anders, Merrill?" Emma asked.

The three of them simultaneously cast ice spells and froze him before he could kill them and then Varric shot and shattered the ice.

"Well, he's dead," Varric said, satisfied.

"Why would he think we'd wait until he killed the qunari we came to save before attacking him?" Isabela asked. "Idiot."

"But not as idiotic as his followers," Fenris noted as the crowd Varnell had gathered around him turned on them despite just having received very good evidence on why that was a terrible idea.

"Aveline, you go cut the qunari down," Emma instructed. "Merrill, make sure that neither she nor the qunari dies before she gets through with this. Talk about a bloody headache."

This mob of rabid Chantry followers were tougher than the average band of random bandits that they usually faced but they were still felled in time.

"Hooray for you, you did it," Petrice said disgustedly, having watched the fighting from a safe place in the doorway. "And the qunari even live! Happy days!"

"Your Chantry is weak and cowardly," one of the qunari announced, walking over to them.

"Oh, definitely," Emma agreed. "We kind of hate them."

"And being abducted from the halls of the viscount himself…how can a leader truly be so weak?" another one marveled.

"Well, the real leader is pretty much Knight-Commander Meredith," Carver admitted. "And say what you will about her fanatical hatred of mages and her growing mental instability – Maker knows everyone else does – but she's hardly weak."

"We will give the Arishok a negative report of Kirkwall even though we had earlier been inclined to give him a positive one," the first qunari informed them. "But we will remember your strength, integrity, and courage to him, Emma Hawke."

"We were here, too, you know," Carver said, a little bitterly. He shook his head. "What do I even bother?"

"I don't know," Anders told him. "They're never going to listen."

"Why not?" Carver demanded, frustrated.

"Probably because we don't actually need you here and you're kind of useless," Anders opined. "Plus, you're working with the Chantry so you're probably actually on Petrice's side."

Carver gaped at him. "Are you mad?"

"And now because I'm a mage I must be mad?" Anders exclaimed, outraged. "Truly, the atrocities of the templars! You're no better than they are, you know."

"Emma!" Carver called to her. "Can't you do something?"

"Busy," Emma said, not listening, as she dug through the pockets of the fallen 'faithful.'

Carver rolled his eyes. "You know what? I don't need this. I'm going home, everyone. If you need me, I'll be there. Let's see if tomorrow Anders can not jump down my throat and everybody else can not not care."

"That's a double negative, you know," Aveline informed him.

Twitching, Carver stormed away.

"What's his problem?" Emma wondered.

"And now the qunari dogs go running to their masters about what a mess Kirkwall is!" Petrice spat at them. "Way to go, Hawke."

"Me?" Emma demanded. "Your idiot follower is the one who kidnapped them and started all of this!"

"That," Petrice sniffed, "is completely beyond the point. I'm telling the viscount on you!"

"Oh would you?" Emma asked, pleased. "Good because I have no intention of going to see him again and letting him know about any of this."

\----

"Carver, you're being absurd!" Leandra was protesting when Emma arrived home that evening. "Gamlen and I have plans to go out and you can't keep blocking the door forever."

Gamlen was evidently so bored by the delay that he was reduced to playing with Loghain in front of the fire despite the fact he really couldn't care less about the mabari on a normal day.

"Emma, thank goodness!" Carver said, moving away from the doorway to let her through.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, puzzled. Hadn't he been mad at her earlier?

"Your brother has gone insane, Emma," Leandra informed her. "He won't let me leave the house."

"Carver, I know we haven't actually talked about why you shouldn't hold people prisoner and I know it might be a bit late for you since you're a templar but you really shouldn't hold people prisoner," Emma lectured.

Carver rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. I'm not holding anybody prisoner."

"You won't let me leave," Leandra reminded him.

"That does sounding like holding somebody prisoner to me," Emma remarked.

"Emma…" Carver trailed off pleadingly. "Emma, look at the desk."

Emma's eyes darted over to the writing desk. It looked pretty much the same as it always did except it had some… "White lilies," she breathed. "I've heard something about them recently but I can't remember where."

"We were at Gascard DuPuis' residence, remember?" Carver prompted. "That's how he knew that what's-her-name was going to be the next victim. The serial killer always sends a bouquet of white lilies to the woman he abducts on the day he abducts them. I can't let her leave. I can't just believe that this is a coincidence."

"I'm too old to be abducted by a serial killer," Leandra said dismissively.

Emma was shaking her head, though. "We just can't take that chance, Mother."

"And what do you intend for me to do?" Leandra demanded. "Stay in this house for the rest of my life? I mean, it's a nice house and all but I just can't do that. I'd almost rather be abducted by a serial killer."

"Leandra always was so dramatic," Gamlen noted, barely paying attention.

Emma and Carver had a quick, silent conversation.

"How about this?" Emma asked at last. "You and Gamlen can go out to the Hanged Man where my friends can make sure that you're not abducted and dismembered and we'll go after the serial killer and end him for daring to target you?"

Leandra looked uncertain. "Gamlen?"

"Oh, I always love the Hanged Man," Gamlen said, climbing to his feet. "Does this mean we can leave now?"

"Yes," Emma agreed. "Let's go."

"You know, if it was going to be that easy to find and stop the serial killer then it makes us look kind of terrible for not doing so earlier and only getting involved when our mother is the intended victim," Carver told her.

"What part of 'we were busy' are you incapable of remembering?" Emma demanded.

\----

Varric had decided to come with Emma along with Anders and Aveline while everyone else stayed to guard Leandra who still insisted that it was quite unnecessary. Carver wanted to go with them to end the monster who was hunting his mother but he wanted to make absolutely sure that nothing happened to Leandra even more.

"I know that people in Darktown don't really have an address," Varric said as they looked around. "But surely he could have given us something more specific."

"It's really not all that hard to find people," Anders informed him. "Take it from someone who spent a few years here."

"Alright, Blondie, how do you find people in Darktown?" Varric challenged.

Anders took a deep breath. "Gascard! Gascard DuPuis!"

Varric laughed. "Seriously? That's it?"

"Yes, what do you want?" Gascard asked, coming out of nowhere to talk to them.

"Your serial killer is after my mother so we have to kill him now," Emma said flatly.

Gascard drew back, horrified. "He took your mother?"

Aveline shook her head. "Not yet. That's why we have to hurry. He sent her the white lilies, though."

Gascard nodded. "I see. I'm not sure what you expect me to do, though. It's not like I'm his former apprentice or anything."

"We never said that," Emma said, giving him a strange look. "But you said that you cut what's-her-name's arm to take a sample of her blood for tracking purposes. I know that you said that she's a lost cause but she's got to be dead by now so tracking her blood should lead you to the killer."

Gascard brightened. "That is a brilliant idea! One moment…"

He disappeared into the darkness again and soon came back with a vial of blood. He closed his eyes and a blue glow surrounded the bottle. "This way…"

"Say, shouldn't you maybe keep your eyes open?" Varric asked after he nearly walked into one of the beggars milling around.

"That's what you're here for," Gascard explained.

Varric sighed and helped him up the steps.

Maneuvering Gascard carefully so that he made it all the way to where he was trying to take them was incredibly annoying but if it saved Leandra then it saved Leandra.

Finally he opened his eyes and said, "We're here."

"This place looks vaguely familiar," Emma noted, frowning.

"This place is where the bodies were first found three years ago," Aveline immediately identified. "Oh, if only we had bothered to search the area at all then maybe all this could have been avoided."

"Since Carver's not here, I guess I'll have to say it," Varric decided before fixing Aveline with an annoyed look. "Yeah, if only."

They split up to explore and Anders found a badly-hidden room.

They had barely stepped foot inside before they were attacked by demons.

"Don't you just love those nice, obliging demons that only attack when you enter the bad guy's lair?" Emma asked sarcastically.

"Personally…yes," Varric confirmed. "It saves us a lot of trouble whenever we don't enter the bad guy's lair."

"But we always do," Aveline pointed out.

"And at least then we expect the demons," Varric told her.

Emma stopped suddenly and picked up something off of the ground. "I know this locket…it belongs to Mother…"

Gascard was confused. "I thought you said that your mother had not been taken."

"She wasn't when I left and there's no way she could have been kidnapped and brought here in time to lose the locket before we arrived," Emma said confidently. "Clearly someone is, in addition to planning on murdering her and creepily sending her flowers as an apology or whatever, being a stalker and stealing from us! I'm going to see if I can't kill this guy twice."

"Hey, Emma, isn't that your family's crest on this shield?" Anders asked.

"Damn it, serial killer! Enough is enough already," Emma said, eye twitching as she gathered up yet more of her family's belongings.

"Hey look, I found a creepy shrine!" Aveline called excitedly.

"Why is that a good thing?" Gascard asked her.

"Well…it's not," Aveline admitted. "But everyone else got to find things so I wanted to find something, too. And doesn't that woman in the portrait look like your mother, Emma?"

Emma examined the portrait closely. "No, not really. I don't see the resemblance."

"They have the same skin tone," Varric offered.

Emma rolled her eyes. "So does most of Kirkwall. We're not a very diverse group."

"What do you think the shrine is for?" Gascard wondered.

"Well, if I know anything about blood mages – and I'm assuming a blood mage is involved because of all the demons and the fact that all blood mages are evil – then I'm going to guess that his wife or sister or maybe just the girl that he was stalking died. He can't handle reality and so is mutilating all these women to try and rebuild her and then somehow bring her back to life," Anders declared.

"I think I've heard that story before," Varric said slowly, frowning. "It didn't have a happy ending."

"Well of course it doesn't have a happy ending!" Emma exploded. "Think of all the murdered women!"

"No, I don't think it was that," Varric disagreed, shaking his head. "It was something about sown-together body parts being too hideous, I think."

"You would think he'd be able to tell that before he brought her to life," Aveline remarked.

Varric shrugged. "You would think. But then, who even knows with these mad scientist guys?"

They finally found a human – or, well, a monster who looked like one – in one of the back rooms. "Hello, there. Did you bring your mother, Emma?"

"I'm going to kill you," she growled.

"You will never understand my purpose!" the man raved.

"Is it to find people who have similar features to some dead girl and then cut them up and sew them together to try and make someone who looks like she would look if she were in a terrible accident and thus had all these ugly stitches and then to bring her to life and then live on in happy – possibly marital – bliss?" Anders inquired.

The man blinked. "Oh, I see that you do get it after all. Hey…Is that Gascard DuPuis?"

"Is this the part where we find out that you never had a sister?" Varric wondered.

"Sister?" The man laughed. "Did you really fall for such a transparent ploy? Gascard is my former apprentice. I ditched him awhile back and I guess he wanted vengeance. Or, you know, you can help me kill them and I promise I won't ditch you again."

Gascard looked torn. "I-" He fell over dead.

"Varric," Emma complained.

"What?" Varric asked innocently. "Like you really wouldn't have done the same."

"But I wanted to do it," Emma whined.

Varric shrugged. "Sorry. You can get the next one."

Emma brightened immediately. "Like this serial-killing lunatic?"

"I wish the First Enchanter Orsino were here," the man sighed. "He's devoted so much time and energy into making sure I didn't get caught and supplying me with research materials because he wants to see if people can really be brought back from the dead. I'm sure he'd take care of you and I wouldn't even have to lift a finger."

"Is there anyone in this entire freaking city who isn't corrupt?" Varric demanded. "Maybe Meredith. But her extreme lack of corruption is kind of the problem..."

"We can't just go around accepting the word of a serial killer that Orsino is corrupt," Aveline protested.

"I don't know if he's guilty or not but if we just kill this guy then we don't need to know," Anders reasoned. "And investigating him would just hurt mages."

The man laughed. "Oh, that's just what Orsino said about why I couldn't be caught ever."

"I really don't think that there is anyone non-corrupt," Emma said awkwardly. "I mean, Meredith is so insane that I'm just calling her 'corrupt' by default at this point."

"But should that really mean that mages have to be able to go around being serial killers and enabling serial killers and whatever other reprehensible behavior mages choose to get involved in because it would hurt all mages?" Varric couldn't believe it.

"It really shouldn't, no," Anders said pointedly.

Varric decided to take his frustration out on the serial killer in question by firing a bolt at him.

The bolt hit him square in the shoulder. "Ow! What was that?"

"That was me attacking you," Varric explained.

"But…we were talking and you never told me you were going to attack me," the man protested. "You can't do that!"

Emma smiled darkly at him. "What's that? You want fair? I can give you fair…"

\----

Despite knowing that the serial killer, whose name they still didn't know, hadn't gotten his hands on Leandra, Emma rushed back to the Hanged Man once she had finished thoroughly looting the area and Aveline had gotten started on the cover-up.

Leandra was sitting at a table with Isabela, Carver, and Gamlen and laughing when Emma came in.

"Mother!" Emma cried out, throwing herself in her mother's arms.

"Hello, Emma," Leandra greeted her. "I hadn't actually thought I would enjoy myself here but your friends are very welcoming."

"I'll just bet," Emma murmured, glancing Isabela's way.

"I keep losing," Gamlen complained.

"You always lose," Carver pointed out. "So…did you get him?"

Emma nodded. "We got him."

"I still don't know what any of this is about but I'm glad that you two are going to stop acting like crazy people now," Leandra said, satisfied.

Emma smiled almost wistfully. "Mother, this is Kirkwall. I don't think there's much hope of that happening anytime soon."


	31. Qualifying Runaways

"I'm just saying," Emma said as Carver and Aveline practically dragged her to the viscount's office, "that maybe he should try solving his own damn problems for once. Or at least paying me. I would also be open to him paying me while he solves his own damn problems but I'm willing to concede that that isn't a very likely turn of events. Neither are the first two, of course, but compared to the third...though that is my favorite scenario of all."

"He's the viscount," Aveline said as if that settled everything. "You have to do this."

"What do you want?" Emma demanded rather rudely once she had finally been shoved into the viscount's presence.

"The qunari kidnapped my son Saemus again," the viscount complained.

Emma put a hand on her forehead. "Can't you keep track of him better?"

"I'm very busy," the viscount protested.

Given how many times Emma had used something like that as an excuse herself, she supposed that she really couldn't call him out on that. "You could at least hire someone. And are you sure he's actually gone missing this time and didn't run off to join the qunari this time?"

The viscount deflated. "I…Okay, he might have left about a dozen notes all informing he that he's run away to go live with the qunari now and he's never coming back but I can't just admit to that!"

"Because it means that you failed as a father if your wealthy and privileged son is so damn eager to get away from all the wealth and privilege and be a qunari?" Emma asked, making a face.

"Well…that, too," the viscount conceded. "But mostly for the political fallout. Imagine what will happen if people learn what has happened? There will be anarchy! I'll probably be fired, maybe killed! And who knows if anyone can prevent a war? I'm starting to think that the Chantry actually wants a war. Or at least certain elements of it."

"Like Mother Petrice," Emma suggested. "But listen, what am I supposed to do about this? And why should I?"

The viscount sighed heavily. "It comes to this. I do not want the qunari to murder me tonight. If you don't want the qunari to murder you tonight, or at the very least ruin your evening by killing everyone all around you, then you have no choice but to help me prevent a war."

"Delay a war, really," Emma corrected.

The viscount ran a shaky hand over his face. "Delay, prevent, whichever. This cannot happen tonight! Find my son and convince him to come home or at least fake his own death and leave Kirkwall or something! Please!"

Emma sighed. "Fine, whatever. I'll go see the qunari. But don't expect anything much. The qunari are kind of weird and I'm still barely invested."

"I would think that you would be more concerned about your own safety!" the viscount cried out, stunned.

Emma shrugged. "It's not that I don't, exactly, it's just that at this point I'm half-convinced that I'm immortal."

\----

When the group, sans Isabela, made their way to the qunari compound they were told that Saemus wasn't there and to try the Chantry. Fenris insisted that the qunari weren't lying and, in the interest of not starting something before they had to, they decided to search other places for him.

"This is stupid," Emma complained. "If he were really anywhere else then why would the viscount think he was missing?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment before the obvious began to dawn on all of them the way that it really should have dawned on the viscount and probably would have if he had actually put any effort into it before handing the task off to Emma.

"Chantry."

"He's at the Chantry."

"It has to be the Chantry."

"This time I'm going to kill that bitch."

That last one met with several nods of agreement.

When they arrived at the Chantry, they were met with the strangest sight.

Saemus was there, true, alive and cowering against a wall and Sebastian was standing between him and the forces that Petrice had brought with her.

"Is…is he actually going to do something?" Carver couldn't believe it.

"Something helpful?" Aveline added.

"Let's take a moment to fix this image in our memories forever," Fenris said solemnly.

Sebastian looked up at the sound of their voices. "My friends!" he had never been happier to see them. "Mother Petrice has gone mad. She seems to think that the viscount's son has gone back to the Chantry and now must be murdered by you…while her own men strike him down!"

"Now you've done it, Hawke," Petrice sneered at her. "You've attacked a repentant Chantry convert in the middle of the Chantry and the viscount's son no less! You and your qunari masters must be stopped!"

"Seriously, where is the idea that I love the qunari coming from?" Emma wondered aloud.

"If I may be so bold," Saemus spoke up, "I believe that it is because virtually everyone else in Kirkwall hate the qunari so much that even your complete and utter indifference to them paints you as some sort of qunari-worshipper."

Emma frowned. "Well, that's annoying."

"Stop ignoring me!" Petrice demanded. "And men, stop letting one man hold you off!"

"I think that's our cue to do something," Merrill theorized.

The group quickly ran up the stairs and joined the fray .

"Thank goodness that you are here, my friends!" Sebastian said as he fell back, breathing hard, and let his reinforcements take over from him.

Once all of Petrice's men were killed, she glowered at them. "You think you're so smart, don't you?"

"Recent history has had us winning every time we've come up against you," Varric agreed.

"Just because you keep winning now doesn't mean that you'll keep winning forever," Petrice warned. "I have friends in high places and I have the righteousness of Andraste herself on my side!"

"If there was actually a Maker, he would strike Petrice down right about now," Varric said idly.

"And damaging the Chantry?" Emma asked, half-laughing. "Not on your life!"

"I will keep coming back, stronger and stronger than before, and there is nothing that you can do to stop me!" Petrice crowed. She turned to walk away. "I'll see you dead before we're through, Emma Hawke. I can promise you that."

"Yeah, course we could do that," Emma spoke up. "Or…I can totally kill you now."

Petrice spun around again, her eyes wide with horror. "W-what? But you can't! It just wouldn't be fair! I'm a non-combatant and everything!"

"The hell you are," Emma said, taking out a dagger and stabbing Petrice straight through. "And even if you were…what do you call Seamus?"

"A traitorous and soon to be dead f-fool," Petrice managed to say as she fell.

"Yes, well, I never liked you, either," Saemus said, glaring hatefully at her corpse.

"What's going on here?" the grand cleric asked as she walked up to them. "Is that…murder? In the Chantry?"

"Define 'murder'," Carver said, wincing. "We did kill these people but only to protect Saemus."

"It's true," Saemus confirmed. "These people kidnapped me, informed me I was Andrastian again, and were going to kill me when Sebastian here saved my life and then his friends came to back him up."

The grand cleric shook her head. "I do so dislike a mess in the Chantry…But it could have been far worse. Good work, Sebastian."

"Does this mean we're going to start having to take him seriously now?" Anders asked, disgusted.

Sebastian practically swooned. "Your grace!"

Varric laughed. "Nope, not quite yet."

"Oh, good," Merrill said, relieved.

"Saemus," a qunari said, appearing out of nowhere. "It is god that you are safe. We have come to take you back with us."

"You're going to kidnap him?" the grand cleric asked, scandalized.

Sebastian readied his bow.

"Is it kidnap when he wants to go?" the qunari inquired.

"I do want to go," Saemus agreed. "Tell my father that it's okay if he tells people I'm dead and I intend to be gone soon anyway. Oh! And make sure he knows that this isn't his fault even though it totally is. Kirkwall is just too messed up for me to spend one more minute here and after a lifetime of this, living according to the Qun sounds like nirvana itself!"

"Well…That was…that," the grand cleric trailed off, shaking her head. "I'm starting to wonder if he might have the right idea."

"Joining the qunari?" Anders asked, surprised.

The grand cleric shook her head. "Oh, I could never forsake Andraste like that. I just mean get out of Kirkwall."

"Who knows," Anders said encouragingly. "In time you may yet get your wish!"

"Somebody else tell the viscount," Emma requested. "I still don't care enough."

\----

Emma was awoken from her nap by Aveline's loud and annoying lecturing. Stumbling downstairs, she saw that Isabela was there, too, but her voice was not nearly so shrill so that alone would not have been able to wake her up. And, of course, people rarely argued when they were alone. Not never but rarely.

"This is important! Let me get Emma to save us all from the qunari and then she can go on your trivial little treasure hunt," Aveline insisted.

"Get off your high horse," Isabela snapped, annoyed. "I have problems, too."

Aveline laughed at that. "Like what? 'What drink shall I order?' and 'Who's the father?'"

Isabela didn't seem to mind the insults but they incensed Emma.

"Aveline, can you stop being a bitch for five seconds? That was uncalled for," Emma said, narrowing her eyes.

Aveline closed her eyes briefly."I only meant that I'm sure that whatever problems she have pale in comparison to the problem of the qunari planning on killing us all."

Emma was unmoved.

"Emma…" Aveline took a step closer. "The Arishok is sheltering two fugitives from justice because they've 'converted to the Qun' or some other such nonsense. I can't have people thinking that they can just ignore the law. You have to help me convince the Arishok to release them to stop things from getting out of hand."

"Can't they just ignore the law, though?" Emma inquired. "Diplomatic immunity and whatnot. Or maybe that's not the right phrase. It's something like that, though."

This was the first Aveline had ever heard of such a thing. "Diplomatic what?"

"Yeah," Emma said, nodding. "The land that the qunari have taken is governed by themselves, they don't pay taxes, they don't follow our laws…they exist as a law unto themselves. While you're in their compound you might as well be in their own homeland. That sounds like an embassy to me. And if these two fugitives have converted and been accepted as citizens then I'm afraid you can't touch them. That's just how these things work."

"You're making these words up!" Aveline accused.

"I'm really not," Emma assured her. "The logic behind it is that if someone breaks the law then they should be tried and punished by their native land. If these are really criminals then the qunari will give them the punishment that the Qun says that they should. And from what I've seen of qunari punishments, it's sure to be pretty hard-core."

"I'm just not comfortable trusting your imaginary theories on embassies and the like," Aveline said sternly, crossing her arm.

"Well I'm mad at you for being a bitch to Isabela so I'm going to do whatever she happens to need first," Emma announced. She turned to Isabela. "What do you happen to need?"

"This is actually important," Isabela assured her. "I sort-of found out where that sacred text of the Arishok's is. You know, the one he can't leave without. I need to get it back."

"That does sound important," Aveline sounded shocked. Suspicion entered her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"I…kind of sort of need to give it to someone who isn't the Arishok so that he won't kill me," Isabela admitted.

"I don't see why you're so scared of this guy," Emma said, shaking her head. "Just stick with me and we'll kill whoever he sends after you and then sooner or later he's going to come after you himself and then we can kill him and everything's fine."

Isabela smiled at that."You think that I should pull a Fenris?"

"I'm not sure I'd call it that but…yes. Yes, I do," Emma told her.

"Well, I think about it but no promises," Isabela replied. "So are you ready to go and get this book?"

Emma nodded. "Absolutely."

"What about me and the riot I'm trying to prevent?" Aveline demanded.

"I'd say that you'd be fine but, knowing you, you probably won't be," Emma told her. "Just wait and, when I'm done, I'll see if I both remember to help you and care enough to actually do so."

"I really hope that this helps," Aveline said thunderously. "Though even if this book actually does have anything to do with the qunari and actually could get them to immediately leave, the fact that Isabela openly admits that she's not even going to let us use it for that means that this is the biggest waste of time ever!"

"I wouldn't call it a waste of time," Emma disagreed.

"Yeah!" Isabela chimed in. "This is my life on the line here!"

"But it's your fault that it's in trouble to begin with!" Aveline burst out.

"Irrelevant," Isabela said dismissively.

"There is that, yes," Emma agreed. "But mostly, I just really don't want to help you right now, Aveline. In fact, after Isabela and I get her book back there's a good chance we'll go out for celebratory drinks and after that I just might take another nap."

"I'm not sure if I should be pleased with the support or not since you're clearly only doing it to spite Aveline," Isabela mused.

"But I am doing it," Emma pointed out.

Aveline threw back her head and groaned. "If only your useless brother wasn't such a tit. Then I could ask him to help me."

\----

"Wait, wait, wait," Cassandra interrupted again.

Varric sighed. "Yes?"

"You're saying that Emma Hawke was actually asked to go down to the qunari compound?" Cassandra couldn't believe it.

"By Aveline, yes," Varric confirmed. "I'm not sure why she thought that that would accomplish but there you go. Aveline's reputation for competency as guard captain was always a fact that was fiercely challenged by all of us. But it doesn't matter if Emma had been specifically invited or not because she had a standing invitation from the Arishok at that point as she was the only non-convert that he knew who never bothered him with anything stupid and occasionally helped them out."

"And Emma Hawke didn't go…why?" Cassandra wanted to know. "She must have known how restless the city was getting; she barely stopped the murder of the viscount's son! It can't just be because she didn't like Aveline."

"Actually, I heard from several different sources that it was indeed solely because she didn't like Aveline," Varric replied. "She didn't mind her at first but over the years she just really started to dislike her and, of course, Aveline had always hated Emma. Emma really took offense to that 'who's the father' crack Aveline made. That was rather out of character for her, come to think of it."

"Did the text even help? Would Isabela really give it to the qunari?" Cassandra demanded.

Varric rolled his eyes. "You're simply going to have to wait until I get to that part of the story…which I'd probably be at by now if you hadn't interrupted me. Or do you still not trust me to tell you the truth?"

"At times it is impossible to, such as when you kill everyone all by yourself or when you narrate that you're actually addressing me," Cassandra replied.

"Hey, what did I tell you?" Varric asked. "It actually went down that way. For the latter, not the former, that is."

"Some of what you say makes sense even if I have difficulty believing most of the people in your story, particularly the Champion herself," Cassandra told him.

Varric laughed. "Did you know that she went around singing 'I am the Champion' for weeks after she was given that title? She was absolutely no help rebuilding, either."

"What is your motivation for doing this?" Cassandra wondered suddenly. "Are you 'just trying to set the record straight'?"

Varric rolled his eyes. "Please. My book, which will come out next week, will explain all of this that I'm telling you. This is really just an advanced reading since you couldn't be bothered to wait. As for my motivation…well, why don't we ask your guards that kidnapped me what I'm doing here and why."

"No, no, I don't need to know that badly," Cassandra said airily. "Go on, tell me how all of this descended into anarchy and chaos."

"Okay," Varric agreed. "But seriously, you're not going to believe me…"


	32. How NOT to Conduct Diplomacy

"What are the qunari doing here?" Emma wondered.

Loghain barked at her.

"No, of course I remember that there's probably going to be a riot or something," Emma replied, a bit offended that he had thought that she forgot. "I just don't understand why we had to fight our way through qunari in order to get to Isabela's mystery relic."

Isabela's eyebrows shot up. "Do you always talk to your dog like that?"

"Yes, always," Emma replied immediately. "Why?"

Isabela shook her head in disgust. "Fereldens."

"So, about those qunari?" Emma prompted.

Isabela winced. "I'd hoped you'd forgotten about that."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm not that…shiny!" She knelt down to pick up a piece of silver on the ground and happily looked at her reflection in it before pocketing the coin.

"You totally did that on purpose, right?" Isabela asked uncertainly.

"Did what?" Emma asked innocently.

Isabela decided that she didn't really want to know and so let it go. "Well, I can only speculate that the qunari have clued in to the fact that this is their missing sacred text and so they want it back, too." She peered closely at Emma. "Are you sure you're not judging me for the fact that it's all my fault that the qunari are here?"

"Why would I judge you?" Emma asked blankly. "Sure you stole it but you lost it and you have been looking for it so it's not like you've been doing nothing. And it's hardly your fault that they're so obsessive-compulsive that they refuse to leave Kirkwall without it nor is it your fault that no one in Kirkwall knows how to play nice or that the qunari have an invading people thing."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Isabela said, managing to smirk a little.

"I mean, if it had been me then I would have gone after it but that's just because I have a brother and he kind of nags me about this kind of thing a lot," Emma told her. "But he's not here right now and he's not your brother so that's neither here nor there."

"Just promise me that whoever much it might make sense to take the book back to Aveline and stop this riot, you'll let me have it because it seems much quicker than trying to my would-be murderer here and then taking him out first," Isabela said earnestly.

"Of course, Isabela," Emma replied sincerely.

"Really?" Isabela looked thrown. "Wow. That's probably not a good idea but, hey, it works for me! Let's go in."

"Where is the tome?" an angry mage demanded of a terrified-looking man.

"I-I have it," the man claimed, looking like he would like nothing more than to wet himself and just collapse into unconsciousness.

"Tevinters will never get their hands on our sacred text!" a qunari shouted, somehow entering the building from the second floor.

The mages, easily distracted, angrily shot spells at him.

The man who supposedly had the book took advantage of no longer being the focus of attention and turned tail and ran. Why was he even meeting with these people with the tome if he were so reluctant to part with it? And how had the qunari found it so quickly? It was most vexing.

"Quick, go after him!" Emma urged.

Isabela, who had been about to do just that, stopped and stared at her. "You know, you might actually make me feel guilty for what I'm totally going to do."

"Well, if it doesn't involve screwing me over then don't worry about it," Emma replied. "And if it does, well, if someone's going to screw me over then all I ask is that it eats them up inside. I'm not unreasonable, really."

Isabela fled leaving Emma to deal with the all-out Tevinter/qunari brawl.

Like any sensible disinterested third party to a fight would do, Emma stayed in the shadows until one side was completely dead. Fortunately, Loghain agreed with her completely and so stayed quiet as well. When two wounded qunari were all that remained, Emma and Loghain quickly took care of them.

When that was done, Emma walked outside to go see where Isabela had gotten off to.

There were three fresh corpses, including the man who had run off, and while Emma was looting the bodies she came across a note from Isabela.

"When did she even have time to write that?" Emma wondered aloud. "It makes mention of the fact that I said I'd let her have the relic and so it can't have been before we got here. Did I really take that long in there?"

Loghain barked.

"Well, of course I'm upset that Isabela just kind of ditched me without even giving me a proper goodbye after all I've done for her but, well, I guess I have this letter," Emma mused. "And she might think she's protecting me but this is so stupid. I actually kind of wanted to kill Castillion after hearing all the stories of how awesome he was."

Loghain barked again.

Emma frowned. "No, I don't think I have a problem. Why?"

She began to make her way to the compound when she was stopped by some random guy on the street.

"Well," he drawled, sounding rather smug for someone dressed in rags, "ain't you moving up in the world."

Emma twitched. "Aren't."

"What?" the man looked confused.

"It's 'aren't you moving up in the world'," Emma corrected. "If you say 'ain't' you come off sounding like an idiot."

"Well look who's all high and mighty now!" the man said, scowling.

"That would be me, yes," Emma agreed.

"People talk, you know. I hear you got a right fancy nest in Hightown now. Nice step up for a dog lord. Only fair you share some of that good fortune with those of us still hurting, no?" the man asked hopefully.

"Do I even know you?" Emma demanded.

The man just shook his head. "Never met a Hightowner yet who wants to share the blessing…"

"So I don't know you and you just bother all the people up in Hightown for money," Emma concluded. "I know most of them inherited their wealth but you can always do what I did and kill people for it."

The man quickly paled. "Um…that's quite alright…"

\----

Aveline automatically reached for her dagger when Emma arrived.

"Where were you?" she cried out.

Emma frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I asked you to come help me stop a riot last night and now it's ten in the morning!" Aveline pointed out.

Emma shrugged. "Oh, well, it was getting kind of late so I decided to get a good night's sleep before coming to deal with this."

"All of Kirkwall could have been overrun!" Aveline exploded.

"But it wasn't," Emma said simply.

"Where's Isabela?" Fenris asked.

Emma shrugged again. "No idea. Maybe she died."

"You can't even pay attention to the people you abandon me for?" Aveline asked, outraged.

While Emma wasn't going to lie about what had happened, she quickly decided that there was no need to…correct any misapprehensions.

Emma walked right through but Aveline was stopped at the gates. She bargained with him to bring in a few guards and the rest of the group was made to wait outside. Emma just hoped that they didn't leave. That's what she probably would have done.

"You really should have brought in Anders or Fenris or someone," Emma informed her. "Your guards kind of suck and if it comes to a fight…well, we'd be better off going in alone."

"My guards are proud, fierce, and strong," Aveline said angrily.

"I've known small children more resilient," Emma said flatly.

Aveline just glared at her but did not respond. It was probably not a good idea that she just marched in there looking like she was aiming to knock heads but, well, Aveline could be rather confrontational at the worst possible moments.

The Arishok was not happy.

"You were supposed to come yesterday," he said accusingly.

Emma held her hands up. "Busy!"

The Arishok nodded. "Yes. Unlike the other one who waited outside my gates all night. I dislike people who waste my time."

"I'm not the one who wasted your time," Aveline insisted. "She's the one who…" She trailed off, no doubt realizing that it was pointless. "We need to talk to you about the elven fugitives that have taken refuge here."

"Boring. Emma Hawke, where is the relic?" the Arishok demanded.

"A friend of mine took it and left," Emma answered promptly. "Sorry about that."

The Arishok frowned. "We might have to leave Kirkwall to find it."

"I vote for that plan," Emma said, nodding.

"The elves!" Aveline cried out.

The Arishok sighed and addressed her as one might address a particularly stupid child. "Those elves have submitted to the Qun. They will be protected."

"Say something!" Aveline demanded.

Emma shrugged. "Um…tell us more?"

"You have not hidden the abuses of your zealots or the corruption of this city. You will understand why I must do this now," the Arishok said gravely.

"It's impossible to hide how awful Kirkwall is," Emma said knowingly.

"Not helping!" Aveline hissed.

"Then stop trying to get me involved," Emma shot back. "What must you do now? Leave? Please say 'leave.'"

"Let us take a look at your 'dangerous criminals'," the Arishok said contemptuously. "Speak."

Two young elves stepped forward.

"A city guard forced himself onto our sister," one of them said. "We reported him but Guard Captain Aveline said that it was impossible for a city guard to do something that terrible and then threw us out of her office because she had a date with one of her subordinates."

"We kept trying to appeal to her and eventually she had us arrested for harassment," the other one continued. "So we hunted down the bastard and stabbed him through the heart."

"That doesn't excuse murder," Aveline said sanctimoniously, not even bothering to deny it.

Emma stared at her. "Are you kidding? Yes, it does."

"Without the laws that govern us, we would be in chaos," Aveline lectured. "They should have taken it up with the proper authorities."

"They did and you didn't care," Emma snapped. "And don't try to pass the buck here because this is one of your precious rapist guardsmen and the complaint was brought directly in front of you. If someone even implied they were thinking about raping me, I'd have done a hell of a lot worse than just stabbing him. And if it were Bethany...Well, this bastard got off easy."

The two elves cheered.

"I'm sort of an elven hero here in Kirkwall," Emma said modestly. "No idea how that happened. I think it's just that everyone else really sucks and I kind of don't."

"No one is above the law," Aveline claimed.

"Aveline, you have been going nearly everywhere with us when we take the law into our own hands every time we turn around, right?" Emma asked rhetorically. "Every time I think it's impossible for there to be more hypocrisy surrounding me, something like this happens."

"You're not helping," Aveline complained.

"Well you're wrong," Emma said simply.

"I thought you might see it my way," the Arishok said, pleased. "You are literally the only person worthy of respect in this entire city."

"Even considering the converts?" Emma wondered.

"They are qunari," the Arishok replied. He narrowed his eyes at Aveline. "The actions of these men are just the symptoms. Your society is the disease and you are absolutely terrible at your job."

"It's not fair to blame our society as a whole for the fact that Kirkwall is messed up!" Emma objected. "I mean…well, fine, Antiva is run by assassins. And Tevinter apparently has people killed at parties or something. And Orlais won't stop invading people and screwing each other over so they don't have to wake up and realize that no one but the Empress has any power. And Starkhaven's prince still won't leave the Kirkwall Chantry. But hey, Ferelden's nice!"

"A Sten did confirm that Ferelden was nice," the Arishok conceded.

"You can't just decide to keep people who have converted to the Qun," Aveline said stubbornly. "You must hand them over."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Really? Four years of everyone bending over backwards to cater to these people and now you're taking a stand? Over people driven to avenge their sister because you suck at your job and your guardsmen contain rapists?"

"It's a matter of principle," Aveline said determinedly.

Emma laughed darkly. "Some principle. And anyway, since this is an embassy and whatnot, I think the Arishok is totally in the right here. If they are now qunari citizens then it's not up to you to punish them."

"Why did I even bring you?" Aveline wondered.

Emma shrugged. "I've been wondering that same thing, actually."

"This really isn't my fault," the Arishok said, sounding almost regretful. "I just cannot leave because of your friend and I cannot stay and ignore how flawed and corrupt your city is when it literally comes banging on my door."

Suddenly, Aveline seemed to realize that being so inflexible could lead to a bad ending. "Wait, Arishok, there's no need to-"

The Arishok turned from her and held up a hand, immediately silencing her. He spoke two words, not in any language any of them understood.

From outside the compound, Loghain barked.

Emma's eyes widen. "He thinks it means 'kill them.'"

"What?" Aveline asked. "Don't be silly. Of course it doesn't-"

Spears suddenly rained down from above, going straight through Aveline's guards in their terrible quality guard armor.

"You were saying?" Emma asked lightly, not pleased to be under attack but, as always, loving being proven right.

"Let's just go," Aveline growled.

Emma waved goodbye to the Arishok who stared at her in bemusement before bravely running away.

\----

"What did you guys do?" Carver demanded once they had all fled far enough away that they were no longer being chased by the qunari.

"It's all Emma's fault," Aveline claimed.

Carver snorted. "That I could believe. Of course, I could just as easily believe it's all your fault or a combination of both of your faults."

"Aveline wanted the Arishok to turn over two elves who killed one of her rapist guards because she refused to do anything about the matter," Emma explained. "Aveline's just mad because I agreed with the Arishok that she's being ridiculous."

"Do you hear that?" Varric asked, worried. "They're spreading out and attacking the rest of the city."

"I just don't see why," Aveline said slowly. "What can they possibly hope to accomplish?"

Emma let out a startled laugh. "Are you kidding me? The Arishok spelled out his reasons. He's sick and tired of Kirkwall being Kirkwall and so he wants to kill everyone."

"He can't possibly succeed," Aveline protested.

Emma shrugged. "I'm not so sure. But even if he knew he could not win, he couldn't not do it. The Qun wouldn't allow it."

"Why people follow such a rigid doctrine is beyond me," Aveline said disgustedly.

"I'm sure it is," Carver said, rolling his eyes.

"So what do we do?" Merrill asked quietly.

"We should head to the Keep to rally my guardsmen," Aveline decided.

"I don't see how them raping everyone is going to help the situation," Emma said icily.

"Don't even start," Aveline snapped.

"I say we head to the Keep as well," Fenris suggested. "But only because the viscount is there and so the Arishok will go there as well. If you want any chance of ending this, you'll need to take on the Arishok directly. He will never stop but if you can come to some arrangement – or if he is dead – then his followers are not bound by his same purpose."

"Wait, so all we have to do is kill the Arishok?" Anders couldn't believe it. "Emma could have done that back there."

"Not quite," Fenris corrected. "First we must get him to acknowledge that he respects her-"

"He totally already did," Emma assured him.

Fenris nodded. "Excellent. And after that, you just let me talk to him and point out that, as someone he legitimately respects, you have the right to do a duel with to the death with him."

Emma paled. "Wait, what? I'm supposed to fight him alone?"

"Of course," Fenris agreed. "That's just how it's done. He doesn't respect anyone else, certainly not Aveline, and even if you could get him to let you have more people then he'd also increase the number of people he has. He'd probably use mages. Qunari mages…You really don't want to fight them. Maybe it's just that their life is terrible but they are vicious."

"I can't do this!" Emma protested. "I'm terrible at close-range and I can't expect him to stand still and let me cast spells at him!" She paused. "Unless I manage to freeze him…"

"There is one piece of good news," Fenris told her. "If you claim that your dog is a part of you, he'll probably let you use him."

Emma's eyes lit up. "Sweet! I'll be fine, then. Loghain will not enjoy this, though…"


	33. Bethany's Return

They were nearly at the Keep when Emma stopped and stared in shock.

Carver nearly ran into her. "What is it?"

Wordlessly, Emma pointed to a small group of people who were killing the qunari surrounding them.

"What?" Merrill asked, not getting it.

"I-It's people who aren't us who are managing to actually be useful!" Emma exclaimed, shocked. "That's just…I don't even know what that is."

"My guards are-" Aveline began heatedly.

"No, they're not, and we're even less fond of them than usual right now so maybe some other time," Anders suggested.

"It's not like we doubt your fighting abilities," Fenris pointed out.

Aveline pouted. "That doesn't make it any better."

"Well it's the best we've got right now," Emma said, unsympathetic as always.

"Why didn't you help us?" one of them said once they had killed all of the qunari around them.

"It didn't occur to us," Varric said, shrugging. "And it's not like you needed it anyway."

"It would have saved us some time," the man pointed out.

Carver shrugged. "Our bad."

The man just shook his head. "This attack was…most unexpected."

"Really?" Emma asked, frowning. "We've all been waiting for it since the moment that ship of theirs…sunk. Did it sink?"

"Well, we hadn't expected it to happen while we were here," the man clarified. "I am Stroud of the Grey Wardens."

Carver's eyes widened. "Grey Wardens? Really?" He sounded awed.

"Regretting your decision to throw your lot in with the templars?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Grey Wardens actually have important things to do, especially in light of the recent Blight," Carver said, not really answering his question.

"You're not missing much," Anders assured him. "Everyone knows that Grey Wardens are just high-functioning ghouls who have had to drink Archdemon blood and can't sleep a wink and are obsessively hunted by darkspawn before they're driven to go to the Deep Roads and kill as many darkspawn as possibly and hopefully not captured to be attempted to be force-fed tainted flesh and raped by darkspawn to turn into a broodmother creating more darkspawn or at least serve as the tainted flesh for potential broodmothers."

There was a lengthy silence.

"No, Blondie, not everyone knew that," Varric said finally.

Stroud and his Grey Wardens looked like they were contemplating killing them all to protect Grey Warden secrets.

Anders rolled his eyes. "Right, like it's also not common knowledge that Grey Wardens have been known to make deals with darkspawn including the one who accidentally started the last Blight by experimenting on the old god that became the Archdemon and believe that they exist above the law and can kill whoever they damn well please to protect the secret that they imprison and study intelligent darkspawn instead of killing them and that hundreds if not thousands have died for these secrets. Or that the First Warden is extremely incompetent and corrupt and there are blatant abuses of power and getting in bed with the Chantry or the Empress of Orlais and that they're practically incapable of making rational decisions."

Varric looked like he was going to have a heart attack. "If saying these things can get us killed, why are you telling us these things?"

Anders frowned, puzzled. "This really isn't common knowledge?"

"Maybe you should think back to when you said that knowing these things can get people killed and then ask that question again," Fenris suggested.

Anders paused for a moment. "This really isn't common knowledge?"

The Grey Wardens had drawn their weapons by now and advanced on them and so the group was forced to strike them down.

"Way to go, Anders," Aveline said, annoyed. "Now we've had to kill Grey Wardens. That's probably illegal."

"You don't know?" Carver asked, surprised.

Aveline shrugged. "Kirkwall doesn't really do Grey Wardens."

"I vote that we just sort of leave quietly and pretend this never happened," Emma suggested.

"That sounds like a good plan," Merrill said, a little shaken.

"But not before we loot the bodies, of course," Emma added.

Varric laughed. "What do you take us for, Emma?"

\----

"Do you think we should, I don't know, be hurrying or something?" Merrill asked uncertainly as the group leisurely walked along.

"I don't see why," Emma replied. "We'll get there when we get there and the qunari will still be there waiting for us."

"That wasn't exactly what I-" Merrill started to say.

A qunari some distance in front of them was dragging a struggling woman away. "Quit your struggling, woman!"

"On the other hand, you might have a point," Emma said, rushing ahead to attack the qunari head-on.

"Her morality is so limited that it's ridiculous," Carver complained.

"Ah, but at least she's got something," Varric pointed out. "Even if it's just mages and people she thinks might get assaulted."

"Yeah, I really can't believe Aveline brought her to try and get those elves," Carver said, shaking his head. "I mean, in general, yeah, but that in particular was really stupid."

"Will you guys hurry up?" Emma demanded. "We have more women to rescue! Also, did you know that the Arishok was supposed to take me captive? I need to yell at him about that and possibly kill him."

"You're already going to kill him, remember?" Fenris prompted. "Duel to the death?"

Emma nodded. "Oh, right. Well, let's go."

They continued on their way and the qunari-killing was pretty standard. Finally, right when they were about to deal with a qunari mage (who were far more annoying than regular mages. Apparently the fact that they literally had nothing else in life and couldn't even speak made them all the more dedicated to their craft and that made them stronger than normal mages. Or so Merrill, Anders, and Emma comforted themselves), his magic suddenly fizzled out.

"Was that…was that a templar?" Emma demanded.

Carver cast a nervous look at her. "Probably, yeah."

"You're a templar," Emma pointed out.

"I am, yes," Carver said, wondering where this was going.

"You can do that, huh?" Emma inquired.

Carver winced. "Technically, yes. But you know that I would never-"

"Can you aim it at one target in particular or does it just get rid of all the magic in the area?" Emma asked. "Because I can still feel my magic and while I've never been deprived of my magic, I feel that this would not be the case if I were deprived of my magic."

"We can choose our targets," Carver assured her.

"Then why in the world haven't you been doing this?" Emma demanded. "What is the pointof you being a templar if you're not going to make life easier for me?"

Carver wisely chose not to address that. "I thought maybe it would upset you."

"Well, it doesn't," Emma said blithely. "In the future, please start disabling our mage opponents. I much prefer to use my powers on those who have no means of defending against it."

Fenris stared at her. "Do you have any idea how that came out?"

"How what came out?" Emma asked blankly.

Fenris just sighed. "Oh, never mind…"

"You're the one who chooses to continue to spend time with her," Varric pointed out.

"I need this group to protect myself against my master," Fenris defended.

"And once he's dead?" Varric prompted.

"…Kirkwall can be extremely dull," Fenris admitted.

"While it is true that mages are far less dangerous when stripped of their magic, they are not always completely healthy and these are qunari mages so they can still do some damage," a blonde woman informed them. "You really shouldn't lose focus in a battle like that."

"Who are you?" Emma demanded.

Fortunately, the woman did not seem to be offended. "I am Knight-Commander Meredith."

"Oh, wow, I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you!" Anders exclaimed.

Varric stared at him. "You feeling okay?"

"I am, yes," Anders confirmed. "I always wanted to say something to you and I guess here's my chance: You're an evil sociopathic bitch and I hope you die a fiery death sometime soon."

Meredith shrugged. "I get that a lot. No matter. Ser Carver, I am pleased to see that you are hard at work helping us secure the city from these qunari."

"So I guess this is what it takes to get the Chantry to care about something other than hunting mages," Emma murmured.

"Not necessarily," Carver pointed out. "There are plenty of qunari mages."

Meredith smiled at him. "Excellent point, Ser Carver." She turned to Emma. "I know you."

"Well I don't know you so I don't think so," Emma replied.

"Oh, but I do. The name 'Emma Hawke' has turned up in my reports many times and your sister and brother seem unable to adequately explain what your motivation is," Meredith explained.

"My motivation is easy," Emma insisted. "I am a mage like my sister and I think living in a Circle would be awful and I believe that all mages should be allowed to do whatever they want so long as they don't get themselves possessed or turned to blood magic."

"Sort of like your boyfriend and Merrill," Fenris told her.

Emma glared at him. "Anders is not possessed."

"His eyes are glowing blue right now," Fenris told pointed out.

Emma ignored him.

Meredith was frowning. "What? You're a mage?"

Emma nodded and summoned a fireball. "See?"

"Did you know about this?" Meredith demanded.

Carver did his best to look shocked. "I can't believe not one but two of my sisters managed to hide this from me for so long!"

"I don't think you're very observant," Meredith informed him.

"It's good that we found you, Knight-Commander," Aveline said respectfully. "The qunari are-"

"It's obvious what they're doing," Meredith said contemptuously.

Emma shrugged. "Well, when you're right, you're right."

"I will need to look into these allegations that you're a mage," Meredith said seriously. "But for now, we have many more qunari mages to deal with and even those in the Gallows have been let out to deal with this mess."

"That's thoughtful," Anders said sarcastically.

"I bet half of them will fake their own death to avoid going back," Fenris predicted.

Varric's eyes lit up. "I wonder if I can cash in on that…"

"The qunari are taking people to the Keep and may already be in control," Meredith announced. "We will need to deal with them."

"I don't want to deal with them with you," Emma said, making a face.

Fortunately, Carver knew how to get through to her. "Emma, this will make the invasion over faster so you can get back to whatever you'd rather be doing."

"The qunari are taking everyone important and those who submit to the Qun will live while those who don't will die," Fenris spoke up. "Do you think that the mother of Emma Hawke might be considered important?"

"We've got to go!" Emma said urgently.

"I will meet you at the Keep," Meredith informed them. "My men are largely useless without me and so I need to go make sure that they actually do their jobs."

"See, that is what I call positive and effective leadership," Carver said pointedly.

"She imprisoned one of your sisters and was talking about doing it to the other," Aveline reminded him.

"That doesn't change what I said," Carver retorted. His eyes widened. "Is that…?"

"What?" Emma asked, not really listening.

"Emma, look," Carver said, grabbing her arm and pointing behind her.

Emma turned and her eyes widened as well. "Bethany!"

The siblings ran to greet their sister.

Bethany smiled. "Fancy meeting you out here, Carver."

"Having fun getting to kill things again?" Carver asked her.

Bethany laughed. "You know me."

Emma frowned. "I'm here, too."

"Yes, you are," Bethany agreed curtly. "And isn't it great that the first time I've seen you since I left for the Circle is when we just happen to cross paths in the middle of a qunari invasion after three years of silence? You didn't even return my letters!"

"In my defense, I didn't realize I was supposed to," Emma claimed.

Bethany rolled her eyes. "How could you possibly have missed that?"

"You knew that I didn't do letter-writing," Emma pointed out.

"I thought maybe you'd make an exception for your only sister who you refused to come and see!" Bethany cried out, hurt.

"Bethany, you know how I feel about the Circle," Emma said gently. "It would have just been too painful for me to see you there. I'm sorry."

"It's not about you, it's about me," Bethany told her, tears brimming in her eyes. "Mother visits every week. Uncle Gamlen makes it at least once a month. And Carver stops by literally whenever he's in the Gallows, if only for a few minutes."

"That can't be all that often then," Emma reasoned.

Carver pulled his twin into a hug. "Hey, Bethany," he said, stroking her hair, "Emma didn't mean to hurt you, you know that. That's just how she is."

Bethany let out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob. "Since when are you so quick to defend her?"

"We've actually been getting on a lot better lately," Carver told her. "I think we bonded over our dislike of Aveline. Andraste knows that everyone's burning hatred of Sebastian is the one thing to bring our group together."

Bethany stayed silent for a few minutes before pulling herself together and stepping back.

"Are you really going to ruin our reunion because you're mad that we didn't have a reunion sooner?" Emma couldn't help but ask.

"Don't even talk to me," Bethany instructed.

"I think you're being kind of unreasonable," Emma told her, frowning.

"Emma, she was at the Circle for three years," Carver pointed out.

Emma's expression cleared. "Oh, right. I can see how that might bring out the worst in a person even if they've done nothing to deserve it."

"Mother might be in the Keep with those qunari," Carver told Bethany.

Bethany jolted. "We've got to get over there!"

They resumed their journey towards the Keep (everyone was glad to see Bethany again and even Fenris mentioned it was nice to have a mage that was approaching sane with them for once).

They came across the bodies of several mages and Bethany ran to go check them to see if it was anyone she knew.

"Wow, it looks like a massacre," Emma noted idly. "I guess they didn't think to attack from a range."

"Or if they did and the qunari approached them they didn't have anyone who can use a sword to distract them while they ran off to get a better position," Aveline reasoned.

"He's still alive!" Merrill exclaimed, gesturing to an elf that was groaning on the ground.

Bethany beat them to him and pulled him to his feet. "First Enchanter!"

"I know you," Emma said sourly. Part of it was because of the time she had been forced to look like Orsino in Feynriel's dream but the other part was far more understandable. "The blood mage who tried to kill our mother and who we enjoyed taking apart said that you were supporting his research. Is this true?"

"What?" Bethany asked, flabbergasted.

Orsino laughed nervously. "Quentin said that? I mean, I have no idea, really…"

"He knew," Varric translated.

Emma lit his robe on fire.

"Emma!" Bethany objected.

Orsino was frantically trying to put it out but apparently didn't know the magic to do it.

"If our mother died, it would have been his fault for enabling that lunatic," Emma declared. "And the fact that Carver managed to save her is the only reason why I didn't set him on fire instead of just his robes."

"That's another reason we're getting on better, I guess," Carver said belatedly.

"I don't understand," Bethany protested.

"If I would have told people who he was then all mages would have suffered," Orsino attempted to explain himself while still trying to fight the fire.

"And so you let a serial killer run free?" Fenris demanded. "And what's more, you help him? You disgust me."

"All mages disgust you," Anders pointed out.

"Him more than most," Fenris growled.

"Well, I figured that…" Orsino stopped for a moment, looking down, before the fire distracted him again, "I figured that if he was going to be violently killing and dismembering women anyway then we might as well get something out of it, right?"

"Do not even vaguely make me wonder if the templars might have any sort of point at all!" Emma exclaimed, sending a bolt of electricity towards him.

"Alright, that's enough!" Bethany cried out, summoning water and soaking Orsino to put out the fire. "First Enchanter, I may never forgive you. But right now, we've got a qunari attack to deal with. You can set him on fire again later."

"Oh, I will," Emma said pointedly.

"And I don't think I'll be inclined to try to talk you out of it," Carver remarked.

Orsino sighed heavily. "I'm used to being hated for my magic."

Emma's eyes widened. "Oh, no. You don't get to play the mage card!"

"But I'm a mage," Orsino said, puzzled.

"Not in my world you're not," Emma said grimly, one of the worst insults she could give somebody. "Not in my world."


	34. Becoming a Champion

"I understand that you're upset," Orsino was saying gently as they neared the Keep. "But that really doesn't give you the right to say that I don't care about all of my students who were slaughtered."

"Actually, you nearly killed my mother so I can say whatever I want," Emma corrected. "And I just don't see how you can be so blasé with the lives of innocent women and then act like you care about your students. Even Anders and I will agree that you can't only care about mages."

"Most days," Anders amended. "Most days I will agree to that. Although that is largely just because of Varric as I don't know any other non-mages worth a damn."

"It's true," Varric added. "I am pretty spectacular. And no, Cassandra, I did not just make that up, he really said that."

Anders was puzzled. "I know I really said that. I just said it."

"I thought we had agreed to table this discussion for now," Bethany said awkwardly.

"I'm trying," Emma told her. "And if you'll notice, no one's on fire."

Meredith and her men (she had found quite a bit, it seemed) were waiting for them at the Keep's gate.

"First Enchanter Orsino," Meredith said neutrally. "You survive."

"Your relief overwhelms me, Knight-Commander," Orsino said dryly.

"I'm not sure if you knew this," Emma told her. "But he is terrible."

"What happened to all your mage-loving from earlier?" Meredith inquired.

"I can love mages and still think he's terrible," Emma assured her. "In fact, I do."

"We don't have time to talk," Meredith told them. "We must act now to save as many as we can from the qunari."

"Do we have time for petty power struggles?" Orsino asked hopefully. "Because I want to take time out for a petty power struggle and refuse to follow you."

"Well, I could never follow you," Meredith countered. "That might make people think that mages have some inherent worth."

"Ah! You admit your true feelings for mages!" Orsino yelled triumphantly.

"I've always admitted it," Meredith pointed out.

"Dear Maker!" Emma exploded. "I don't care! My mother's in there! Let's just go!"

Meredith and Orsino shut up and stared at each other for a moment.

"I can live with following her," Orsino proposed.

"Let's do that," Meredith agreed. "No one else seems to have noticed she's a mage, after all, and so my image can stand it."

They crept closer to get a look at if how the outside was faring.

"There are a lot of qunari," Meredith said. "That means that they must have already taken the Keep and must have been planning this for quite some time."

"Not necessarily," Fenris argued. "It's been three hours since the attack started and the qunari are so well-disciplined and experienced in this sort of thing due to their constant warfare with Tevinter that it wouldn't surprise me if the Arishok only began to plan this when Aveline was making her ridiculous demand to destroy those poor elves."

"They killed a man!" Aveline burst out.

"He deserved it," Fenris countered. "And you wouldn't do anything."

Aveline frowned suddenly. "I don't see any of my guardsmen."

"Is anyone really surprised by that?" Carver wondered. "Your guardsmen are terrible."

"They must have all been killed heroically defying the qunari," Aveline speculated.

"Heroically fleeing the scene, perhaps," Varric corrected.

"There is only one way in," Meredith decided. "We must assault them now before their numbers grow."

Emma held up a hand. "I will be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about qunari reproduction and childhood but they didn't actually bring any females with them, I don't think, and so I don't think we have to worry about that."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I meant, before more of them show up here."

"Are you mad?" Orsino cried out. "Wait, stupid question. But you know they have hostages! We need a distraction!"

Meredith ignored him in favor of turning to Emma. "Decide quickly. We have no time."

Emma frowned. "What's your problem with a distraction? It would only take one person and saves more of those lives you mentioned wanting to save."

"I'm morally opposed to agreeing with Orsino about anything," Meredith replied matter-of-factly.

"As am I," Orsino chimed in. He paused. "Well, agreeing with Meredith about anything, not agreeing with myself."

"You have no morals!" Emma cried out.

"Emma, focus," Bethany entreated.

"I say we go with a distraction because it's a good idea," Emma declared. "Aveline?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Aveline asked blankly.

"Preferably get yourself killed," Emma said frankly.

"I do so hate you," Aveline said, glaring witheringly at her. "And no, I won't do it."

"Well, I will," Orsino said, stepping forward.

"I still hate you," Emma told him.

"I can live with that," Orsino replied. "You sneak inside while I'm distracting them. Meredith…do whatever and try not to get the wrong people killed. Or non-qunari mages. I know that they wouldn't count as the wrong people for you to kill."

"How do you intend to distract them on your own?" Meredith demanded.

Orsino merely smirked at her and stepped forward, twirling his staff. "Have confidence, Knight-Commander."

Emma looked pained.

"What?" Anders asked her, concerned.

"It's not fair for him to be that cool and badass!" Emma complained. "It's getting in the way of my hating him!"

"I've never had that problem," Meredith told her.

"Yeah, but you're a templar," Emma said as if that explained everything. Naturally, to Emma it did. "And now he has giant fireballs? That's it, I'm leaving now before I start this man a fan club."

\----

They had just snuck into the back of the main room in the Keep and, by unspoken agreement, decided to stay quiet for long enough to figure out what the situation was before Emma made her dramatic entrance.

The nobles were all there, talking amongst themselves and complaining bitterly almost as if nothing strange were going on.

Leandra and Gamlen were standing near the back of the crowd and Emma sent a small bit of electricity towards the so they'd jump and turn around. Upon spying the group, they quickly made their way over to them.

"Oh, my children! Carver! Thank goodness you're alright," Leandra cried, throwing one arm around Emma and the other around Bethany.

"Seriously?" Carver asked the world at large.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked Gamlen.

"I'm a noble, too," Gamlen pointed out.

"Um, barely," Emma replied.

"I was the title holder for twenty years!" Gamlen cried out.

"And just look what you did with it," Bethany countered, evidently still annoyed about that.

"It's always wonderful to see you, Bethany," Leandra said, smiling warmly. "And not even in the Circle, either! Though you're still wearing those horrid robes…"

Bethany shrugged. "I've seen horrid-er ones."

"Stay back, okay?" Emma requested. "We don't want you getting killed or caught in the crossfire or something. Everyone that's not Fenris, who needs to explain things, or me – or Loghain, of course – stay back here to protect my mother. And my uncle, I guess."

"You guess," Gamlen repeated bitterly.

"That is what I said, yes," Emma agreed easily.

The Arishok paced back and forth, apparently annoyed at his inability to shut these people up. Finally, in frustration, he threw the head of the viscount at them. "Here is your viscount."

That hardly shut them up, either, although then there was less talking and more horrified screams. The expression on the viscount's face was truly sickening.

"Father!" Saemus cried out, horrified. Apparently he hadn't noticed the Arishok murdering his father.

"You dare-!" one of the nobles shouted, stepping forward. "You are starting a war!"

"You started it," the Arishok said, a little petulantly. He gestured and one of the qunari stepped up behind the man and snapped his neck.

"Hello," Emma said brightly, stepping forward.

The Arishok immediately lost interest in the cowering nobles and moved forward as well to greet her. "Emma Hawke. I have been expecting you. You are the single worthy person in this entire city. This is what respect looks like. Some of you – most of you – will never earn it."

There was a ringing silence, ultimately broken by Carver. "Seriously? Emma – Emma – of all people is the only person worthy of respect? How in the world did that happen?"

"Emma Hawke was the only one to not try to deceive me or to waste my time and she is the only one who will take responsibility for her actions," the Arishok proclaimed solemnly.

"I knew she was a qunari-lover," someone whispered loudly.

"My casual indifference is actually leaning towards dislike now that they're bothering me with their invasion and…other things…" Emma replied, not wanting to remind people of her mother at the moment.

"So tell me, Emma Hawke," the Arishok said casually. "You know that I am denied Par Vollen until the sacred tome is found. How will you see this conflict solved without it?"

"I believe that I can answer that," Sebastian (of all people!) said, smiling confidently as he walked into the room carrying the sacred tome.

"…Sebastian? What…how…?" Emma spluttered.

"I ran into a mutual friend of ours when she showed up at the Chantry, shoved the book in my arms, and told me to take it to the Arishok," Sebastian explained. He presented it to the Arishok. "I do hope that its condition is acceptable to you. I have no idea where it's been for the past several years."

The Arishok reverently accepted it and then examined it carefully. He then solemnly handed it off to the qunari next to him. "The relic is reclaimed. I am now free to return to Par Vollen. I would like to take the thief with me as well but she is not here and I do not wish to remain in this city one single minute longer than I have to."

"So…you're just going to leave?" Emma asked hopefully.

The Arishok nodded. "Yes. Goodbye, Emma Hawke. You are the brightest star your people have."

Emma beamed. "And just like that, I think I'd edging back towards actual indifference."

"Wait, you can't just leave after all of this!" Aveline protested. "What about those two criminals?"

"Let it go, Aveline," Varric advised.

"One day, we shall return to conquer and kill you all," the Arishok informed them.

"That's so sweet," Anders said sarcastically.

"So, Sebastian," Emma said, hardly believing she was actually willingly speaking to him. "Why send you? Where's Isabela?"

Sebastian shrugged. "I do not know. All she told me is that after years of going through almost ridiculous pains not to be seen by the qunari, she wasn't going to be an idiot now and present herself before them in case they wanted vengeance."

"And I guess they did," Emma concluded.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. She also said to tell you that this newfound conscience of hers is all your fault and that that's why she's going to be avoiding you for the foreseeable future and not any guilt she might be experiencing from abandoning you."

The Arishok cut through the crowd and left the Keep, the rest of his people following suit.

Of course, that was when Orsino and the templars arrived.

"That would make a really good band name…" Varric mused.

"What?" Merrill asked, surprised.

"Oh, nothing, nothing…" Varric said mysteriously.

"And I didn't even have to have my duel," Emma commented. "Still, probably for the best. It would have been highly embarrassing for everyone involved. Particularly me for doing nothing but running away, my family for being related to me, my friends for knowing me, and the Arishok for having to fight me."

"Is it over?" Meredith asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Since they usually just fought mages who were helpless before them, Emma could understand how she'd be looking forward to a true fight and now – thanks to Emma, Isabela, and (strangely) Sebastian – she was denied one. Not that Emma cared or anything.

"It is," Emma said proudly. "I'm kind of awesome like that."

Meredith glared at Emma and lifted her sword slightly. For one wild moment, Emma was almost afraid that she was going to strike her with it. But then, reluctantly, she sheathed the sword and shook Emma's hand. "I suppose that at this point there's really nothing left to do but to declare you Kirkwall's newest Champion. Tragically, Kirkwallian Champions are like Grey Wardens in that they can be mages if they so choose."

Choose? What was she on about?

"Success!" Emma cheered.

"Not that they're any more likely to notice you're a mage now than they were before," Meredith said wryly.

Emma frowned. "Haven't I heard your name somewhere before? Maybe in relations to that expedition…?" She shrugged. "Oh, well. It'll come to me."

\----

Cassandra just stared at him as the second part of Varric's epic tale of Emma Hawke came to an end.

Varric was smiling pleasantly at her. "You seem confused, Seeker," he gloated.

"Are you seriously telling me that everything could have been avoided if only she had remembered that Meredith was the name of the woman who bought the idol?" Cassandra demanded.

Varric shrugged. "Everything? Who knows? Even if she knew and Meredith wasn't that far gone yet, it was still very valuable and so most likely hidden. Who knows if we would have been able to get our hands on it and – if we had – if we would have been able to destroy it? I suppose some of it might be avoided but to blame everything that happened from this point on solely on Emma is unfair and reeks of second-guessing history."

"But she makes it so hard not to!" Cassandra protested. "She can remember the name but not the why? She could have asked any of you and you would have known."

"Probably not Bethany, actually," Varric corrected. "She was gone by that point. And Aveline might not have answered to spite her. And who knows what kinds of things that dog of hers said? As a non-Ferelden, I just heard barking."

"You believe that Fereldens can speak to dogs?" Cassandra asked, surprised.

"Anyone can speak to a dog," Varric said, rolling his eyes. "Only Fereldens seem to think that the dogs speak back."

Cassandra shook her head, dismissing this line of discussion.

"The Champion just lucked out on having Isabela send that book back and then not return herself?" Cassandra asked. "That's…not really deserving of the title of Champion."

Varric shrugged. "I kind of agree, to be honest. But then, the nobles of Kirkwall just saw Emma's arrival as being what ended up saving them all and they were in the mood to make someone a champion."

"If you're telling the truth," Cassandra said pointedly.

"Why would I lie?" Varric inquired, leaning back in his stone throne.

"To protect her, perhaps. Make me think she's not worth going after," Cassandra suggested.

"Only you can make such a decision, Cassandra," Varric said sagely.

"If things continue in this vein then what happened at the Gallows may be very different than what we had assumed," Cassandra said slowly. "I need to hear it. "

"I don't even want to know what was assumed," Varric said sardonically.

"Tell me what really happened," Cassandra commanded.

" 'Champion of Kirkwall' was the reward," Varric told her. "It was a fine title but Emma would have wanted money or her sister back from the Gallows. She helpfully suggested this several times but nobody seemed to hear her. Everyone decided that Emma was the most important person in the city, something that annoyed Meredith to no end."

"What about the viscount?" Cassandra asked.

Varric snorted. "The viscount…You know what happened with the viscount? Once his father was dead, Meredith declared that Saemus was the natural choice and he was crowned in absentia on the spot."

Cassandra frowned. "I thought he went with the qunari."

"He did," Varric confirmed.

"Then how-?" Cassandra started to say.

"Good question," Varric told her. Meredith always sent him letters and he occasionally deigned to send a letter or two back telling them to leave him alone," Varric continued. "So you see, Saemus was the viscount in name but Meredith was the one with all of the power. And man was she getting crazier by the day. One of Saemus' letters said that the qunari were getting concerned about their treatment of mages. So after three years of that-"

"Wait, another time skip?" Cassandra complained. "And right after the qunari attack? Something important must have happened then!"

"Um…not really," Varric said, scratching his head. "Carver and Merrill got married and she moved into Emma's place and had two little kids, Malcolm and Rowan. Malcolm after his father and Rowan just because Merrill thought it sounded like a nice name. Not to be outdone, Emma got engaged to Anders but – quickly losing control over Justice – he kept delaying the wedding."

"If you knew…if you knew that something was seriously wrong with Anders then why didn't you do something?" Cassandra asked quietly. "You had six years."

"I didn't understand just how wrong and it was a slow descent," Varric defended himself. "And Emma…She really loved him. I couldn't do that to her."

"But-"

"Isabela managed to avoid Emma for three years," Varric interrupted. "My success as an author, both with Isabela as a co-writer and independently, just kept growing. Fenris finally looked into finding his sister. Emma still never visited hers. Aveline married what's-his-name and Emma killed someone at their wedding. And, um, everyone but Anders and Emma joined the templars."

"What?" Cassandra had clearly never heard this bit.

"We weren't real templars," Varric explained. "Just Carver-like templars. And it was just for the money. Emma and Anders refused out of principle."

"But not Merrill?" She couldn't believe it.

Varric shrugged. "Evidently, it has never occurred to the templars that a mage might try to be a templar and so she had no real problem."

"Maybe the question isn't 'why did this happen' but 'why didn't it happen sooner'," Cassandra mused.

Varric laughed. "Now you're talking."


	35. Two Lousy Options

"I know you fear us and I know that there have been a lot of very good reasons for that fear but this is still getting ridiculous!" Orsino pontificated, pacing along the lengths of the platform at the edge of the Gallows. "Meredith has taken control of your city and everyone knows that she is absolutely insane! And don't even get me started about this farce of the Qun-convert Saemus living on Par Vollen being our viscount!"

The large crowd of mostly nobles – why were they even there? Did Orsino advertise for this? – seemed to agree with his words. Then again, they always seemed to agree with whoever was talking at the moment.

Meredith arrived then, flanked by her faceless guards as per usual. Templar guards, that is, not useless city guards.

"She's gotten a lot more visible since she went off the deep end," Varric murmured.

"Return to your homes," Meredith ordered. "You know how I feel about free speech!"

Obediently, the nobles turned to go but a word from Orsino stopped them.

"Wait! Perhaps there are some who might disagree with you, Knight-Commander," Orsino challenged.

Meredith laughed. "As the completely unopposed dictator carrying out the will of our distant viscount, I don't care if everyone in this damn city disagrees with me because I can do what I want."

"Oh, not this again!" Orsino cried, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I happen to know for a fact that our Champion gets more letters from the Arishok than you do from Saemus!" Orsino burst out.

"He's my pen pal," Emma said defensively. "He gets me. And how do you even know that anyway?"

Meredith's eyes widened. "Do not hide behind the Champion. She has no role in this nor could she possibly care what this city does one way or the other."

"Right here," Emma said, waving her hands. "Stop talking about me as if I'm not."

"Then tell us what you think," Orsino urged.

"You're only saying that because she's on your side," Meredith complained.

"Like you wouldn't do the same if she were on yours," Orsino countered.

"Of course I would," Meredith agreed. "But the fact that she's not is the problem. And just because the Arishok liked her and her friend brought back that sacred book that was keeping the qunari here doesn't mean she's qualified to have an expert opinion on this! Even if she'd killed the Arishok she wouldn't be qualified."

"You wouldn't be saying that if she were on your side," Orsino pointed out.

"But she's not," Meredith said again.

"You know, your measures are pretty extreme," Emma remarked. "I mean, I ignore all of them but I heard something about a curfew or something."

"Isn't it true that blood mages killed your own mother?" Meredith asked, suddenly sounding sympathetic."While cold corpses are yet to be found we need security more than we need freedom."

Emma blinked. "No, actually, he didn't. He targeted her but was stupid enough to announce his intentions and so he got nowhere near her. Unless you're talking about something that happened since this morning?"

Meredith looked annoyed. "Okay, whose my information-gathering person? Whoever it is, fire them."

One of the templars stepped forward and whispered something in her ear.

Meredith's eyes lit up. "Oh, what's this?"

"I don't know, you'll have to tell us," Varric replied.

"Apparently the one to notice that something was wrong and who you left behind to guard your mother was our very own Ser Carver," Meredith said pointedly. She frowned. "In fact, all of your friends appear to be templars. An odd outlook for such a pro-mage spokesperson."

"Are you aware that you're publicly admitting to the fact that those who are pro-mage can't really get along with templars?" Varric questioned.

Meredith narrowed her eyes. "You are one of my templars, Ser Varric!"

"We unionized," Varric explained. "It was my idea. And that guy you tried to fire is one of us, too, so you really can't."

"Not all of my friends," Emma argued. "My fiancé Anders isn't. And come on, Carver being a templar had nothing to do with it! He was off-duty – probably – and she was his mother!"

"I can only call it as I see it," Meredith said innocently.

"When will you stop seeing evil in every corner?" Orsino demanded.

Meredith shrugged. "There are three valid possibilities, actually. I could die, I could be forced to step down from being too far gone with my lyrium addiction, or I could kill or make Tranquil all mages. Huh. I guess there was a fourth option there."

"We are so lucky Blondie isn't here or he'd have blown something up by now," Varric whispered.

Emma nodded.

"Do we really want someone who is so bad at basic math to be in charge of our city?" Orsino cried out.

"I'm not bad at math!" Meredith defended. "I was just taken aback by how right I was."

"Pick a side," Orsino urged, poking Emma with his really cool-looking staff that Emma was perpetually about two minutes away from stealing.

"Um…I don't know," Emma admitted.

"You don't?" Varric asked, shocked.

"Well, I do support people rising from nothing and that's certainly what Meredith's done. I feel really bad, too, that her apostate sister didn't get proper at-home training like my sister and I did and so got possessed and killed seventy people including the rest of her family. I understand that that is very traumatic. And Meredith even comes off very reasonable in spoken conversation. That said, her measures – from what I know of them – seem kind of insane and she doesn't always monitor what her people do. Ser Alrik and his abuses of the Rite of Tranquility and of the attractive young mages in his care comes to mind," Emma began.

"Then, of course, there's the fact that under her leadership the problem isn't going away but is actively getting worse. I don't know if anyone else could do it better but I can't imagine how it could be done worse and we should probably try anyway. There is a huge blood mage and abomination problem in this city and part of it may just be down to the unspeakable abuses that have been done in this city rendering its populace more susceptible to this kind of thing. On the other hand, all of these restrictions are only leading to more desperation on the part of mages and a desperate mage is far more likely to do something stupid like get possessed or start using blood magic. We've seen an extremely significant positive correlation between the restrictions on mages and the incidence of possession and blood magic."

"But our other option is Orsino who chooses to enable blood mage serial killers to try and get something out of their actions rather than trying to stop them or reporting them. I don't even know if it's worse to actively enable than to ignore because while he's actively helping the serial killers, chances are that without his help the murders would continue and there might even be more as he has no idea what he's doing and has to keep experimenting. None of this might be necessary if reporting the problem wouldn't lead to Meredith coming down even harder on the mages and everything thinking that all mages are Quentin."

"So while I personally have a problem with Orsino's actions in this manner, I have to commend his bravery in risking all manner of punishment by actively and regularly angering the one woman who has the power to utterly crush him and is losing the sanity that would convince her that doing so might be a problem given what a public figure that he is. And I have always been a supporter of freedom and what's being done to these mages are terrible. There is no oversight, nothing to stop the abuses. Meredith is almost all-powerful and even if her slipping sanity weren't a huge issue, that's too much power over too many people for anyone to have without any hope of redress."

"I know you guys don't think much of Ferelden but this sort of thing, from the knight-commander, from the grand cleric, from the king and queen, would not have stood there. These innocent children are treated like slaves because they have the power to do so much good, power gifted to them by the Maker? Whatever happened to 'magic must serve man'? I don't recall it being 'magic must be locked up forever while we try our best to pretend that it doesn't exist.' I'm not saying we should become another Tevinter because, frankly, that place has issues but maybe if we gave these people less of a reason to want to kill us all then we'd have fewer incidents of them trying to kill us all. Just a thought."

Varric stared at her. "Okay, where exactly did that come from?"

Everyone else apparently wanted to know the same thing if their stunned stares meant anything.

Emma shrugged. "Mage rights is an issue that I'm very passionate about. You know that."

"Well said, Champion," the grand cleric said as she made her way slowly to the front of the crowd. "It is a very complicated issue. There are no easy solutions no matter where you stand on the issue and we need time to try and find one that works."

"We're running out of time," Orsino said desperately.

"You have to hold on," the grand cleric said gently. "Now, please return to the Circle so as to try and prevent another riot. And Meredith, dear, do try to be more understanding. A man in a trap has very little to lose and if you push them too far, you'll find out just what that really means."

Meredith nodded eagerly. "I shall think on what you have said, Your Grace."

Varric sighed. "Do you remember the good old days when we could go walking down the street without it turning into a big incident?"

Emma nodded. "I do, yes. And I hope that I never, ever have to return to that kind of dreadful obscurity ever again."

Varric chuckled. "There's little chance of that happening, I think."

\----

Gamlen was staring at a mess on the floor in front of the fireplace in fascinated horror. "Emma, is your dog in the habit of eating people?"

"That's a strange question," Emma replied.

Gamlen nodded. "I know and normally I wouldn't ask but I think that's a severed human hand…"

"He only ate the one guy," Emma said defensively.

Gamlen practically choked. "I…what?"

"It's not a big deal, Gamlen, you always get so worked up about these things," Leandra said, shaking her head. "Emma told me all about it. Apparently, a thief broke in and he hid in a closet when Loghain came sniffing around."

"How does that translate to your dog eating the poor man?" Gamlen demanded.

"Justice suggested it," Emma explained.

Gamlen groaned. "Of course he did. You know, I'm really not comfortable living in the same house as an abomination and, really, I was here first. I'm especially not comfortable when I hear things like this."

"You know, this is my house and you don't have to live here," Emma said pointedly.

"I kind of do, actually," Gamlen corrected. "I turned my old house into an illegal gambling den."

"And you still don't pay rent," Leandra complained.

"Neither did you," Gamlen countered.

Leandra put her hands on her hips. "Do we need to have another conversation about you basically selling my children?"

"So you've done well for yourself after all," Gamlen said abruptly, clearing his throat. "I never did like that Hawke fellow but I guess he had good genes. You're ridiculous successful and your brother and sister…well, they're not dead, I suppose."

"Bethany might as well be," Emma said gloomily.

"I would have sworn you would have said Carver," Anders said, sticking his head into the room.

Emma shrugged. "Carver chose to be there."

"So did-" Gamlen started to say.

"If you finish that sentence then I am throwing you out," Emma threatened.

Gamlen held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "For a long time, you know, I thought that the Amell line in Kirkwall would end with me. I'm glad you and your siblings have pulled it out of the grave."

Emma's eyes widened in horror. "Don't!"

"Don't what?" Gamlen asked puzzled. "Anyway, I just wanted to suggest that you change your name to Amell at some point and don't change it when you get married. That goes for Bethany and half for Carver as well."

Leandra's eyes had lit up. "Getting married! What a lovely idea! And now that you're the Champion, you're sure to have many many suitors."

"Wouldn't the fact that Emma is a mage serve as a...deterrent of sorts?" Gamlen asked delicately.

"Yes! Thank you!" Emma exclaimed gratefully.

Leandra waved the objection off. "It didn't stop me."

"Well, no, but you had to go live in Ferelden for twenty years," Emma pointed out. "Mind, I wouldn't mind going back there. This place kind of has problems. Most people wouldn't be willing to do that."

"It is truly sad the kind of anti-Ferelden prejudice that continues to this day," Leandra agreed. "But as you're the Champion and everyone either will never notice you're a mage or doesn't really care, it's not as much of a problem as you might think."

"I'm engaged!" Emma insisted, holding up her hand to show her mother the ring.

"For two years, dear," Leandra said flatly. "Sooner or later, we've got to move forward on that one way or the other."

Anders was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

\----

"Isabela," Emma wheedled, "come on! It's been three years! Can't you please just forgive me for whatever I did or whatever and talk to me again?"

"After three years, most people would have gotten the point and ceased pestering me about it every day," Isabela said tiredly. "Especially when they can't be arsed to visit their sister."

"Well, I just happen to come into the Hanged Man every day and that's where you always are," Emma said, shrugging.

"You go to the Gallows every day, too," Isabela pointed out.

"That's not fair!" Emma objected. "You know that I have to as a matter of principle since there's nothing Meredith can do to stop me, a mage, from barging into her office whenever I want to!"

"You could always stop by to see Bethany," Isabela hinted.

"Why does everyone always lecture me about Bethany?" Emma wondered.

"Probably because you've only seen her once in six years and the last time I stopped by she was very upset about that," Isabela replied.

Emma's eyes widened. "Wait, you visit Bethany? Since when?"

"Since she was first taken," Isabela answered. "We all visit her. Even Anders visits her on days he thinks he's less likely to snap and kill everyone there and, while this understandably doesn't happen often, it does still happen and you know what he's like about templars and the Chantry."

"So when are you going to forgive me for…whatever?" Emma asked again.

Isabela sighed and shook her head. "It's not me that needs to forgive you, Emma. I just completely screwed you over and I'm having a hard time pretending it didn't happen like you obviously are."

"You didn't screw me over," Emma insisted. "I said you could take it and you took it. I would have appreciated a goodbye but, well, that's hardly 'screwing me over' material. And anyway, you came back and I didn't have to fight the Arishok and so all's good."

"We don't even have anything in common anymore!" Isabela insisted. "You're a Champion and I'm just a lying, thieving snake."

"We never actually had anything in common," Emma countered. "I'm a mage and you're not. But who cares about that? You're awesome and you don't judge me and you go out with me to kill things. And I'm getting the feeling that that's going to be needed again soon. So won't you join up with me again? Please?"

Isabela couldn't help but laugh at that. "Okay, fine. I will."

"And try to stop the sulking, too, because that forces me to try to comfort you and there are few things in this world that I find as abhorrent as having to comfort people," Emma informed her.

Isabela's eyes widened. "Even mages?"

Emma nodded solemnly. " Yes, as hard as it is to believe, even mages. I just never know what to say."

Isabela shook her head. "I really don't think Kirkwall had any idea what it was doing when it made you Champion."

"I'm just glad that they made Saemus the viscount instead of me," Emma said, relieved.

Isabela shrugged. "Well, you never know. If ever the day comes when Saemus has stepped down or died or something and you happen to be on your way out of Kirkwall, you could be living the dream, too."

They heard Varric shouting from upstairs. "AND YES, CASSANDRA, SHE REALLY SAID THAT, TOO!"

"I worry about him sometimes," Isabela confided.


	36. Humoring Meredith

"Varric, let's have a drink!" Emma suggested brightly, plopping down across from Varric. There were, as per usual, many supposedly important things that various people (usually Carver) were pestering her about doing but she was not particularly interested in any of them and nobody was around to try and make her so they could just never get done for all she cared.

"I should make you buy the drinks, oh Champion of Kirkwall," Varric teased.

Emma stared at him. "You have to pay for alcohol?"

"Well, I don't," Varric conceded. "Not here. Once we got back from that expedition six years ago, I bought the place."

"Was that really six years ago?" Emma marveled. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it," Varric advised. "This city is, as you know, falling apart every time you turn around. I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't just move."

"That's a good idea," Emma agreed. "But, on the other hand…I'm Champion here. I'm still not sure how that happened but it's a total power trip."

"I had the feeling that it would be," Varric said knowingly.

"After we get hopelessly drunk, do you want to come with me to meet with Meredith?" Emma asked hopefully.

Varric laughed. "Not likely. But now I can see why you wanted the alcohol. Why does she want to meet with you anyway?"

Emma shrugged. "No idea. She's been bothering me about it for two months and Carver's finally managed to convince me through sheer annoyingness."

"Yeah, Carver's always been good at that," Varric remarked.

\----

"Emma, stop glaring at all of the templars," Carver hissed at her as they made their way to Meredith's office. "It's making them nervous."

"I don't see why," Emma said innocently. "My ability to make people's heads explode by staring at them is infamously unreliable."

"I think that's the problem," Carver replied. "Even if you aren't trying to, something bad could happen. Of course, if you could control it then chances are good that it already would have happened so…"

"I have a question," Emma said, seemingly casual. "Why is everyone here congratulating me on supporting Meredith?"

Carver winced. "I don't know what you mean…"

"The Knight-Commander appreciates your support, Champion," a random templar said as they passed him by.

Carver glared at him. "Thanks a lot, Jerry."

"What did I do?" Jerry asked, surprised. "I was just-"

"I know what you were 'just' doing," Carver snapped.

"So what's all of that about?" Emma demanded. "I think I would remember if I were a closet Meredith fan. Not that me being a closeted fan would make it make any sense for everyone here to know about it…"

"Well…" Carver began. He hesitated.

"Tell me!" Emma ordered. "I'm about to go face that woman and I should know why I'm supposedly on her side."

"Part of it is the fact that you said anything even remotely negative about Orsino," Carver told her.

Emma threw her hands up in the air. "Of course I did! He almost got Mother killed but he is not every mage in Kirkwall!"

"He is to most Kirkwallians," Carver disagreed. "But don't worry, most of them don't think that you're on Meredith's side. But…you know how Meredith can be. Her grip on reality is getting increasingly tenuous and she wanted to hear that you were on her side and so the minute you two parted company she began to remember it differently."

"So people think I'm on her side because she's crazy," Emma concluded. "But the fact that she's crazy makes me seem crazy for being on her side. This is terrible! Fix it!"

"I don't think I can," Carver admitted. "Those that believe Meredith clearly aren't paying all that much attention to the 'facts' anyway and they also want you to be on their side.

Carver knocked twice on Meredith's door but before Meredith could respond in any way, Emma barged in.

"Why am I here?" she demanded.

"Probably because I sent you a letter requesting your presence and you have finally decided to graciously respond to my summons," Meredith said dryly.

"A letter?" Emma scoffed. "Please."

"It only would have been the one and your brother need never have gotten involved if you had just come here. Or let me discuss what I must say with you while you've been here every day since I sent that letter," Meredith remarked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever. I'm here now so why don't you tell me what all of this is about?"

"Gladly," Meredith said curtly. "There was an…incident in the Gallows. Several phylacteries were destroyed and many mages took the opportunity to escape. Initial eyewitness reports said that your friends Anders was directly responsible but, upon re-questioning them, they all apparently remember nothing. I suspect bribery but, really, that's not the important thing."

Emma was dancing right there to celebrate this wonderful news.

"She's torn up about this, really," Carver lied. "She just reacts weird to things."

"We recovered most of the mages," Meredith continued.

Emma abruptly stopped celebrating.

"But the last three are proving to be very inconvenient and so we'd like your help," Meredith told her.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Are these three, by any chance, the least sympathetic and most crazy mages you could find so that you could try to convince me that templars serve the greater good or something?"

"I cannot help which three mages have not been caught yet," Meredith claimed. "But really, track them down. If you think that they are deserving of their freedom, I'll never know if you help them flee the city…"

"Fine," Emma ground out. "But I'll probably do that no matter what."

"If you feel it is for the best," Meredith said, nodding and sounding surprisingly understanding.

"You're up to something!" Emma accused.

"Just do your job, Champion, and I'll do mine," Meredith replied calmly.

"Except you just asked me to do your job!" Emma exclaimed.

\----

"So are you going to go after Huon, Emile, and Evelina?" Carver inquired.

"Who?" Emma asked blankly.

"You know, those people who Meredith wants you to find," Carver answered.

"Probably not," Emma told him.

"You said that you would, though," Carver said, surprised. "And we know how you are about keeping your word."

"That's only valid if I remember and I seem to be having a terrible time doing that," Emma said innocently.

"I'll remind you," Carver offered.

Emma grimaced. "That's so kind…"

"All of this," Carver said, shaking his head. "It's such a mess. I hope my children don't grow up to be mages."

"With your mage father, mage sisters, and mage wife, they probably will," Emma replied. "At least one of them."

Carver didn't get a chance to reply as some well-dressed foreigners came up to them.

"Hello," one of them said in an Antivan accent. "You're the Champion of Kirkwall, yes? Your reputation precedes you. By which, of course, I mean that people just will not shut up about you. I'm a noble from Antiva and I'm chasing this elven assassin that-"

"That what?" Emma prompted.

The man responded by falling over dead. His fellow nobles or bodyguards or whatever they were tensed up…only to quickly die as well.

"Okay, that was strange," Emma said, frowning.

"Hey, look, it's my new friend Zevran!" Merrill exclaimed. She waved at him. "Hi, Zevran!"

Zevran waved back, smiled mysteriously, and walked away.

"Seriously, what was that?" Emma demanded.

"It's best not to get involved with the affairs of Antivans," Fenris advised. "The entire country is run by assassins."

"Better them than templars," Anders said defiantly.

"So…the Alienage isn't too far from here…" Carver said pointedly.

Emma sighed. "Oh, whatever."

They made their way to the Alienage and then looked around.

"So…what now?" Emma wondered. "Merrill, you used to live here before you invaded my house. Do you know of anyone whose husband was taken to the Circle ten years ago?"

"Emma!" Carver protested. "You can't just expect her to know everyone who-"

Merrill nodded. "Of course. Right there." She pointed to a woman busy working in a stall.

As they walked over, Carver casually said, "Hey, Aveline, did I hear that that little elven girl who was kidnapped by that magister's son that wasn't really a mage that Fenris killed wanted to join the city guard?"

"You did," Aveline agreed warily.

"And that, furthermore, she knew nothing about fighting so you spent an entire year personally teaching her?" Carver pressed. "And giving her the proper attitude to have as a guard?"

"Yes, why?" Aveline demanded.

"I just wanted to confirm, once again, that you will let literally anyone else on the planet into the guards but you won't let me," Carver replied.

"Are you seriously never going to let that go?" Aveline asked, annoyed.

"Trust me, Aveline, I've long since lost any interest in being a guard," Carver said contemptuously.

"I don't believe you," Aveline sniffed.

"Hello, my mistress is away but perhaps I can help you with something," the elf woman suggested.

"I am looking for…" Emma trailed off.

"Huon's wife," Carver supplied. "Are you she?"

The woman nodded. "I am. I told the templars that he hadn't seen me but after they left he came. He's crazy now, I think, and so I sent him away."

"Did you see him use any blood magic?" Fenris asked.

"Would she know it to see it?" Aveline asked in her best sage-sounding voice.

Anders rolled his eyes. "Come on, Aveline. It involves blood. How could she possibly not notice?"

"I was just saying-" Aveline started to say.

"Just because we're elves doesn't make us stupid, Aveline," Merrill said, hurt.

"I know that, I just…" Aveline shook her head. "Oh, never mind."

"I don't know where he is now but he promised to one day return to take me away from this forever," the woman explained.

"A user just looking for another handout," Aveline diagnosed.

"Were you even listening to the same thing that I was listening to?" Carver demanded. "Yeah, he probably won't return to take her away from here forever because he's on the run but being forced to break a promise doesn't make you a user looking for a handout. And what do you mean another handout? In the Circle, he wouldn't have been looking for or receiving any! The more I think about it, the less your statement makes any sense at all! Were you not listening or are you just that anti-elf?"

"I am not!" Aveline cried out.

"Which?" Carver asked bluntly.

"Both! Either! You know what I mean!" Aveline burst out.

"I-I'm scared of him," the woman confessed, not paying any attention to the party's aside. "I think he needs help. Maybe…maybe the Circle will be able to heal whatever troubles him."

"More than likely that's what gave him his issues in the first place if he was fine before," Merrill pointed out.

Anders made a face. "I…agree."

"We'll see you later," Emma said, waving good-bye.

"I'd like to check on my mirror," Merrill announced. Emma hadn't let her bring her creepy blood magic mirror into her house so Merrill had still kept her old one even if she was rarely in it.

"Well I don't," Emma said, crossing her arms stubbornly. "How about we just leave?"

Carver frowned. "Don't you dare! We'll just be a minute." Of course, he went in with her.

"I better not be waiting while those two try for baby number three," Emma muttered.

"Daisy is pretty invested in that mirror," Varric assured her.

They lapsed into silence.

"Is it just me or is that extremely creepy?" Isabela asked after awhile, gesturing towards a rather creepy and almost demonic-looking elf that had appeared out of nowhere.

The woman they had been speaking to earlier saw him and froze. "Huon…"

Emma had taken off running before blood magic startled to swirl around Huon and she hit him in the head with her staff, knocking him out.

"Thank you!" the woman cried, dropping out of whatever trance her husband had held her in. She looked lost. "He wasn't…I think he would have killed me. He was talking about how thankful he was for my 'sacrifice' but it can't be a sacrifice if it's forcibly taken, can it?"

"I don't know," Emma told her. She looked down at Huon uncomfortably. "He's a blood mage and he would have killed his wife. When Carver gets out here…tell him what happened. Tell him to do what he will. He's the templar, not me."

"So are w-" Varric started to point out.

"I'm not listening!" Emma said, putting her hands over her ears and practically fleeing the Alienage.

\----

"It's not like I don't like going to the brothel…no, actually, I hate being here and find it incredibly degrading," Emma told Isabela. "But you haven't even told me why you're so anxious for me to go there."

"Well…You remember how Castillon wants to kill me so I have to kill him first?" Isabela asked.

"I do," Emma nodded. "And I promised to help."

"I'm so glad that you remember that because I kind of need to take you up on that," Isabela admitted. "I have no idea where Castillon is but his right-hand man is apparently going to be at the brothel tonight the way he has been every night for the past week and so I want you to pretend that you're collecting my bounty and then follow me when they take me to Castillon. Then we kill him and take his stuff."

"I like that plan," Emma said, smiling. "Why aren't we going to tell the others?"

"I thought that perhaps they wouldn't like that plan," Isabela replied. "Right, so, is tonight good?"

"Tonight is excellent," Emma confirmed.

"Emma, get over here," Varric called out. "I think we found her."

Emma and Isabela made their way over to the rest of the group in time to see them talking to a redheaded boy and a blonde one.

"Now that we told you where Evelina is, she'll know and she'll be angry," the blonde said, worried.

"We have to hide!" the red-head said and the pair ran away.

"Odds are, she's an abomination," Anders said knowingly.

"I know better than to question your expert opinion," Fenris replied.

Anders glared at him.

"What, that sounded like a compliment!" Fenris claimed.

"I guess we should wander around aimlessly and hope we find her," Emma said, shrugging, out of anything better to do.

They wandered around quite aimlessly for about half an hour before finally stumbling upon those boys again.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, surprised.

"W-we thought that if we warned her about you then she wouldn't be angry," the blonde boy said. "But, well, it didn't work out like that."

"Look at you, you're trembling!" Anders exclaimed. "If you're that scared of her then maybe you should have just stayed out of the way and trusted us to be able to handle her."

"You can't handle her," the redhead said miserably. "No one can."

"Challenge accepted," Emma declared, twirling her staff between her fingers.

"These are my children!" a woman cried out, stepping out of the shadows.

"Run!" the two children cried.

"I will not have running away," the woman – probably Evelina – said in a creepy tone. She turned back to Emma. "You and your kind abandoned them!"

"I certainly did no such thing, I've never even seen them before!" Emma was quick to defend herself. "And as for my 'kind'…What do you count as that? Fereldens? Mages? Humans? You're all three yourself."

"I meant Fereldens and you get to feast on sweet meats while the rest of us starve in the under city!" Evelina accused.

Emma stuck her nose in the air. "First off, I will have you know that I am a vegetarian and therefore, no, I do not feast on any meats. Also, can people stop acting like I had everything handed to me? You have no idea how many people and creatures I've had to kill to get where I am today. And finally, I've been the number one donor in that Ferelden refugee collection fund by a huge margin for the past six years!"

"Not good enough!" Evelina insisted. "You should have personally fed, clothed, and sheltered us all!" She turned into a demon. "Kirkwall should be mine and then my children would have a whole city to play in!"

"They can play in most places now," Varric pointed out. "Really, nothing's stopping them from going up there, they just can't sleep there."

"Also, you're an evil demon so die," Emma said before she and the rest of the group went to work taking her down.

"Why do demons never pay attention to odds?" Merrill wondered vaguely once they were done.

The two boys were still around, looking traumatized.

"I don't understand," the blonde one said, his voice breaking. "Evelina loved us. She saved us. Why would she try to hurt us now?"

Emma backed away. "Ick! Genuine non-mage human emotion required! I hate comforting!" She threw a couple of sovereigns at them and then hid behind Aveline.

"That…wasn't Evelina," Fenris spoke up. "Evelina loved you but that was a demon."

"This isn't going to stop," Anders warned them. "The templars keep making us take desperate measures just to be free."

Fenris rolled his eyes. "I have had it up to here with that argument. How 'free' do you suppose people who lose their bodies to demons are?"

"Well…not very," Anders conceded. "I didn't say that those that are desperate are always particularly intelligent, you know."


	37. Freeing Isabela

"I thought you weren't going to tell anyone what we were doing," Isabela complained.

Emma glanced over at Anders. "Well, while I probably will be able to take everyone down by myself, there's a chance I might get swarmed and it would go faster with someone else. Besides, Anders never judges."

Isabela didn't dignify that with a response.

"Not if it doesn't involve mages or templars, that is," Emma amended.

"And they deserve to be judged," Anders insisted. "This I couldn't care less about."

"It's nice to see that my safety is such a high priority for one of my rescuers," Isabela said, rolling her eyes.

"Anders would never let you die when he's trying to save you or hit you with some magic," Emma promised. "It's a matter of pride."

Andres nodded. "I haven't messed up like that since my first year in the Circle."

"And how old were you then?" Isabela wondered.

"Seventeen," Anders replied. "I was doing fine until my first time and I accidentally set the curtains of her house on fire. The worst part is that she didn't even turn me in but some actual well-meaning templars tried to put the fire out and it took awhile."

"He's moved past that," Emma assured a concerned Isabela.

"Alright, his room is right over there," Isabela pointed. "I'm going to need you to be convincing so insult me, hit me, whatever. No matter how I react, keep at it. We need him to take me to Castillon."

"I'm not going to hit you!" Emma cried out, appalled. "And Anders isn't either."

"But if it would really help with realism-" Anders started to say.

"It won't," Emma cut him off.

"Come on, haven't you ever wanted to slap me around? Just a little?" Isabela cajoled. "Not even when I ran off and left a qunari invasion in my wake?"

"Not even then," Emma said firmly. "Honestly, how did I manage to convince you that I was some sort of monster?"

"I didn't say that you were a monster," Isabela tried to explain.

Emma crossed her arms. "Domestic violence is a sign of evilness. Everyone knows that."

Isabela sighed. "Let's just…Just be convincing, alright."

"Trust me, I know exactly what to do," Emma assured her. She quickly bound Isabela's wrists and then the three of them and Loghain made their way into the brothel room.

"I really hope we don't have to see this guy naked," Anders murmured.

"He might be hot," Emma pointed out.

"He's not," Isabela assured them.

"I can never see evil people as attractive," Anders revealed. "It's like some sort of mental block. I can see someone, believe that they are attractive, then find out that they're evil and suddenly they're hideous."

Emma sighed. "I wish I felt that way. It would have saved me a lot of messy break-ups. There's just something about Meredith, you know? And Orsino. And Cullen. And-"

"I really don't need to hear this," Anders interrupted. "Do you think that you and Isabela can handle it from here?"

Emma stared at him. "Um, no, I don't. Why would I have brought you if I was just going to do this by myself?"

"It will be more convincing that way," Isabela suggested.

"I don't think so," Emma disagreed. "If you're so slippery and they haven't managed to catch you yet then wouldn't it make more sense for capturing you to be a group effort?"

Isabela shrugged. "You're the boss."

Fortunately, when Emma kicked in the door (that was what she believed all people-capturers did), what's-his-name was fortunately not naked. He was, however, wearing full armor and pressed up against a scantily clad elf which was kind of weird.

The elf immediately ran from the room, making Emma wonder – despite this being a brothel and him being a paying customer – just how consensual the whole thing had been. Or maybe just the presence of armed strangers had spooked her.

"I don't know who you people are but I hate you," the man declared. "Oh, except for Isabela. I both know and hate her."

"A lot of people feel that way," Anders told him.

"What are you doing here?" the man demanded.

"I heard that there's a bounty on Isabela and I want it," Emma declared.

The man frowned. "Aren't you the Champion of Kirkwall? Aren't you two supposed to be very close friends?"

"I can't go anywhere without being recognized these days, can I?" Emma asked, pleased.

"That's what I've been wondering," Isabela growled, spitting at Emma.

Emma immediately wiped the spit off her face with her sleeve. "Ew! Ew! Ew!"

"It will be alright," Anders assured her.

"Yeah, sure, right after I wash this outfit. And maybe burn it. And take three showers. At least. Why would you even do that?" Emma cried out, horrified.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're selling me to a man who I really hope wants to kill me," Isabela retorted.

"Why would you hope he wants to kill you?" Anders wondered.

"Because the alternative would be much worse," the man said, reaching up to stroke Isabela's cheek and she tried to bite him. "So, Champion, answer the question."

"Do people even know my name anymore?" Emma wondered. "So, yeah, the thing is that Isabela's great and all but she's not Varric level great and she's not a mage. And that whole qunari mess was kind of all her fault. Or mostly, at least. And I need money if I'm going to both be living a rich and famous lifestyle and funding the mage resistance. So you see, Isabela, it's really nothing personal."

"I'm going to find you one day and I will gut you," Isabela threatened.

"Why can't we be grown-ups about this?" Emma asked, sighing and shaking her head ruefully.

"I'm supposed to believe that you would betray a close friend for coin?" the man asked, not really sounding all that skeptical, actually.

"Not for coin, no," Emma corrected him. "For mages."

The man nodded understandingly. "Ah, a fanatic. Now I see."

"I'm not a fanatic!" Emma burst out.

"You're trading a good friend for your cause," the man pointed out.

"Yeah, well, she wouldn't talk to me since she almost screwed me over with the qunari so she's not that good of a friend," Emma argued.

As two guards (who weren't there to stop them from bursting in and so were probably in the room watching their boss and that elf girl) led Isabela away, the man turned back to Emma. "Castillon will be pleased. We've been looking for Isabela for quite some time now so here's a token of our appreciation."

Emma gladly accepted the money.

"How hard could you have possibly been looking?" Anders demanded. "She's been right here pretty much the entire time and the last three years she's been openly friends with the world-famous Champion of Kirkwall even if she wouldn't really talk to her."

The man blushed. "I…Well…We have her now and that's all that matters. Good day!"

With that, he quickly fled the room.

Anders just shook his head. "Some people are so touchy."

\----

"I guess this is where the trail leads," Emma said, glancing over at the building they hoped to find Isabela in.

"It's really impressive that she managed to leave us such a comprehensive trail to follow," Anders remarked. "I wonder if her captors thought that there would be anything suspicious about that."

"Probably not," Emma replied. "They likely thought that she was just trying to escape."

"In addition to all being ugly, evil people are all really stupid," Anders declared.

"Of course they are," Emma agreed matter-of-factly. "If they weren't then why would they have thought being evil was a good career path?"

Anders nodded his agreement.

"That's why I'm not freaking out about the bad guys having Isabela," Emma confided. "Because if she can manage to be this obvious about the fact that she's been 'kidnapped' then she can easily manage to escape if need be."

"Sure she could," Anders agreed. "But what if it interfered with her getting to see Castillion?"

Emma hesitated. "Maybe we should search faster..."

Eventually, they found the pair.

"I'm just saying that since Castillon isn't here right now and my many guards and I are while you're restrained, I can do whatever I want to you," the man was insisting.

Isabela sounded bored. "So you keep saying and yet all you've done is try to convince me to sleep with you."

"Well…what am I supposed to do?" the man asked, confused. "Force you?"

"I'd rather you didn't, actually, but in that case your threats really don't have any teeth," Isabela explained. She spotted Emma and nodded to her just before her bindings broke free. "I guess that means my rescue party is here."

"Rescue…?" the man didn't have time to say anything else before Isabela stabbed him in the throat. That was fine, though, because his next words probably wouldn't have been very interesting anyway.

The guards took offense at this but none of them were magical or giant qunari and so they were quickly dispatched.

"Castillon is on his way," Isabela announced. "But first let's snoop through everyone's things while we're waiting. I want to find out why he's in Kirkwall and I also want to make a lot of money over this little inconvenience."

"That sounds like a plan," Emma said agreeably.

They were just finishing up their search when a man walked into the warehouse all by himself. Very risky.

"Castillon," Isabela greeted him neutrally.

"Well done, Isabela!" Castillon cheered, not appearing to be in the least bit upset that his men had all been killed. He peered at the ground. "Oh, but he does make such a pretty smear…"

Emma backed away nervously. "This guy's kind of a freak…"

"I'm Antivan," Castillon informed her.

"If you're going to tell me that all Antivans are freaks then I'm not going to argue with you," she replied.

"So if this is all a trap, what do you want, Isabela?" Castillon asked her.

"You're slave-dealing in the Free Marches?" Isabela asked rhetorically. "Oh, they're not going to like that."

"Get to the point, Isabela," Castillon ordered.

"Give me your solemn word of honor – which, as a slave-trader, I'm sure you'd never break – that you'll leave me alone, give me your ship, and leave," Isabela demanded.

Castillon chucked. "I think we can-" He fell over dead.

Fenris tried looking inconspicuous over by Anders.

"Where did you even come from?" Isabela demanded, not fooled in the slightest.

"I thought I heard someone saying something about slave trading in the Free Marches," Fenris explained. "Or, more to the point, slave-trading period."

"Yeah, two minutes ago," Isabela replied. "How did you even get here so fast? Were you stalking us?"

"Don't worry about it," Emma advised. "Anders is the same way when it comes to mage issues."

"But…this doesn't even make any sense!" Isabela protested.

"Trying to figure it out will just hurt your head," Emma said knowingly.

"I don't see what the problem is," Fenris told her. "Now you're no longer being hunted."

"That is true," Isabela conceded. "But what about my ship?"

"Would you really put getting your own ship when you can easily afford to buy one above saving hundreds if not thousands from slavery?" Fenris asked dangerously.

Isabela forced a smile. "Of course not! And since I'm sticking around, I didn't see the need to waste money on a ship."

"Besides," Anders spoke up. "You can probably still take his ship now that he's dead."

Isabela's eyes lit up. "Oh, good point! But Fenris, since you're making this so much more difficult than it had to be I'm just going to warn you now that I'm coming home with you."

Fenris didn't seem to mind that.

\----

"Hey, Emma!" Varric waved her over to his area of the Hanged Man.

"I was just about to come here anyway," Emma said, taking a seat.

"No, no, no!" Varric told her.

Confused, Emma stood up again. "Okay…You wanted me to come here but I can't sit down? Are you mad at me and wanted to make sure that I knew it?"

Varric shook his head. "No, I just thought that you might want to know that that last escaped mage is sitting right over there and he's telling everyone he's a blood mage. He's clearly not, though. He just seems to think it will impress women but I think someone already went for the templars."

Emma sighed. "Oh, very well. But only because I don't want templars to ever succeed in locking up a mage, even if they're really stupid and kind of clearly deserve it."

She went over to the man that Varric had indicated. "Emile?"

The man automatically looked her way before slapping his own forehead. "Um…no. Well…okay, fine. You forced it out of me. I am he. But now's not really a good time. I gave some girl my signet ring in exchange for a kiss and later on she's going to make me a man."

"Seriously, you gave up a signet ring for a freaking kiss? Imagine the damage that could be done with that!" Varric exclaimed, following her over. "Quick, tell me who she is so that I can try and buy it from her and hope she doesn't understand the value of a noble's seal."

"If Anders were here then he would probably say something about how it's not his fault he's stupid because he spent his whole life in the Circle but my father was actually born in the Circle and he managed to get by just fine. And my mother wasn't much more knowledgeable than he was since she had been a pampered noble," Emma remarked.

"And speaking of Blondie, I seem to recall that he mentioned how everyone in the Circle slept with pretty much everyone else for lack of anything better to do," Varric remarked. "How is it, then, that this guy's still a virgin?"

"Well, look at him," Emma said pointedly.

Varric nodded. "Good point."

Emile was near tears. "Why are you being so mean?"

Emma and Varric exchanged glances.

"This isn't mean," Emma protested.

"Definitely not mean," Varric agreed. "If you think this is mean then you really have no chance of making it out here in the real world."

"Who are you people anyway?" Emile demanded.

"I'm Emma Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall," Emma introduced.

A little freaked out, Emile rose from the table and started pacing. "Maker, I know what this is about! I swear, I'm not actually a blood mage."

"Then why would you go around telling people that you were one?" Emma demanded. "Are you just stupid?"

"That is entirely possible," Emile said with a sigh, sinking into his seat. "It's just…I wanted to seem dangerous and suave."

"Nothing in this world will make you seem either," Varric said flatly.

"The templars seem to think so," Emile said stubbornly.

"Well if you want to hook up with a templar then that might be useful," Varric told him.

"I've been in the Circle since I was six and it's been twenty years since then," Emile said desperately. "I guess that really all I wanted to do was-"

Emma cut him off, laughing. "No way are you twenty-six."

Emile looked honestly confused. "But…I am."

Emma stared at him in horror. "Who hates you enough to curse you to age like this?"

"I don't follow," Emile said, frowning.

"You look like you're in your forties. At least," Varric helpfully explained.

"I-" Emile started to say. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Look, I'll go back to the Circle. I just really want to have sex first."

"Well that girl you gave the ring to isn't going to do it," Varric said bluntly.

Emile looked down, disheartened. "Oh…"

"Are you actually going to take him back to the Circle?" Varric asked, surprised. "You're usually really against that."

"I know," Emma agreed. "And I still am, really. It's just…it seems too cruel to just throw him to the wolves. It's not like he'd get any help or support from his family or something, he'd be hunted forever by templars even if they're not looking for him specifically because they think he's dead. I just don't think he has what it takes to survive in the real world."

"Merrill does okay," Varric pointed out.

Emma laughed. "Really? You want to add yet another expense in your monthly bribes to take care of this idiot?"

"On the other hand, it seems to be what he wants," Varric said hastily. "And honestly, I really couldn't care less about this whole mess one way or the other."

"We can take you to the Rose on your way back to the Circle," Emma offered. "It's on the way."

Varric stared at her. "No, it's really not."

"Isabela said that it was," Emma replied.

Varric laughed. "To Isabela, everything is on the way to the Rose."


	38. Strong Familial Resemblance

Emma felt no compunction just barging into Meredith's office once again.

"I hear that Huon and Evelina were killed," she said before Emma could say anything. "It was regrettable but necessary."

"You're so sure of that?" Emma demanded. "You don't even know what happened."

Meredith raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to confess to me that you killed mages where you did not have to?"

"Well…no," Emma conceded. "But apparently Evelina would have been fine if your idiot templars didn't treat her like she escaped from the Ferelden Circle and was an apostate."

"But according to my records, that is exactly what happened," Meredith said, frowning.

"She turned herself in," Emma said pointedly. "Maybe templars would have eventually caught her – though I doubt it – but they didn't have to because she quickly announced who she was. That was pretty terrible of her, too, since it meant she was leaving the kids she was taken care of to starve but it just goes to show how deeply she's bought into Chantry bullshit."

"Then why did she escape the Ferelden Circle in the first place?" Meredith challenged.

Emma rolled her eyes. "By the Maker, even I know that one! She didn't. The Circle was pretty much destroyed and so the remaining mages could either go join the army or try to survive by fleeing Ferelden and the Blight and since Evelina had children to look after she chose the latter. But all she escaped from was the Blight."

"She still chose to become an abomination," Meredith said flatly.

"Yes, she did, and having been properly trained you know that she did it on purpose," Emma agreed. "But you've really got to wonder what it says when so many people like her choose to do that, don't you? When that seems like a better alternative than just staying as you are."

To her surprise, Meredith nodded. "Indeed. I do not understand what mages are thinking and it just goes to show that we must protect ourselves against them."

"And you don't think that maybe you're, oh I don't know, cause in the matter?" Emma asked pointedly.

"I do not," Meredith confirmed.

"You really are crazy," Emma said, almost awed. "But even though your actions support this, your words can come across as quite reasonable sometimes."

Meredith ignored this. "And Emile is brought back to the Circle. I knew that you would see it my way."

"Don't make me stage another break-out!" Emma threatened automatically. She coughed. "I mean, um, I'm still not on your side and I never will be so just give it up."

"Not that it really matters anyway," Meredith remarked.

There was a noise down the hall.

"Oh, honestly!" Meredith huffed, seeming to forget that Emma was there before she stormed out of the room.

Emma was torn between going through Meredith's things and going to go see what had convinced Meredith to just up and leave and compromised by quickly scanning the things on her desk and then following Meredith.

"Every time an escaped mage, be they blood mage, simple apostate, or outright abomination, flees to Ferelden you give them your protection as if you have any right to do so!" Meredith was crying out.

"They're just eager immigrants who quickly take their vows of citizenship and then, as their king, it is up to me to protect them from foreign powers," the handsome blonde man was saying.

"And your little stunt with letting the world know about the lyrium has given us plenty of addictive personality types but not much else in the way of recruits," Meredith complained.

"That was an accident," the man claimed.

"An accident you keep repeating," Meredith retorted.

The man shrugged. "You'd think I'd have learned by now."

"You are a Ferelden," Meredith sneered.

"So I am!" the man agreed, sounding amazed. "Well-spotted, Meredith."

"King Alistair, I'm never going to give permission for the entirety of the Kirkwallian Circle to be transferred to Ferelden," Meredith said frankly.

"Of course not. You'd lose your power then, wouldn't you?" Alistair said knowingly.

Meredith glared at him. "No, it's just that that would be dereliction of duty on my part and I've heard some of the things that mages get up to in Ferelden! Court mages? Mages in the army? Free healer clinics in the Chantry?"

"I know," Alistair said sardonically. "Sometimes I wonder why the Maker hasn't struck us down already."

"Evidently he is otherwise occupied," Meredith said icily. "Now while I usually approve of the respect shown when a foreign dignitary visits in person, in this case I'll have to ask you to go home." So certain was she that Alistair would obey her that she didn't even bother to stay to make sure of it.

Naturally, Alistair stretched easily and made no move to leave.

"Your majesty-" the man next to him began.

"It'll be fine, Teagan. You worry too much," Alistair told him.

"You don't know what I was going to say," Teagan protested.

"Were you going to worry?" Alistair inquired.

Teagan smiled sheepishly. "Perhaps."

Alistair's eyes fell on Emma. "Angélique?" He seemed horrified.

"No, my name is Emma," Emma introduced.

"Sorry," Alistair said, still eyeing her warily. "You just look like someone I know."

"I believe that this is the Champion of Kirkwall," Teagan explained.

"Ah, right, good then!" Alistair exclaimed. "I'm Alistair, king of Ferelden."

Aveline was suddenly there on bended knee. "Your majesty, may I say what an honor it is to meet you. I want you to know that I share your healthy distrust of your father-in-law."

"She does," Emma agreed, deciding not to even bother asking where she had come from. "She doesn't even like my dog."

Aveline's head shot up. "I do too like him!"

"Then why do you keep feeding him stolen meat that you've recovered?" Emma demanded. "And for that matter, if you're just going to get rid of the food you recover then why bother recovering it at all?"

"It's a matter of principle," Aveline claimed. "And Varric's taught your dog how to play cards!"

"Varric is a good friend," Emma agreed.

"You look extremely familiar," Alistair said again, unable to take his eyes off of Emma. He tried to keep his expression neutral but there was something faintly terrified about his tone.

"She looks like the Hero of Ferelden," Teagan volunteered.

Alistair rolled his eyes. "I know that! That's why I thought it was her when I first saw her. And you really can't justify being so formal with the heavy-duty flirting you two get up to."

Teagan shrugged. "She likes to flirt. I'm only obliging the lady."

"The Hero of Ferelden?" Emma asked blankly. She had heard of the Hero, of course, but it was ridiculously difficult to actually get any real information (such as, say, name or gender or species, let alone background...) about the Hero. Seriously, hundreds of years after previous Blights people still remembered whoever that one foreign elf was (not Emma but, well, other people did) and yet they couldn't even be bothered to know anything about the Hero that had just ended the Blight and was the only one to live to do so? Who was, in fact, still alive now? If Emma didn't know any better, she'd suspect that this was because the Hero was from Ferelden and nobody seemed to like or respect them very much for some reason.

"Ah, right. Angélique Amell," Alistair answered.

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "Amell? My mother is Lady Amell, actually."

"You two are…related?" Alistair's horror returned in full force. "I…It's been nice meeting you. Protect Kirkwall and stuff. I've got to go."

"The boat doesn't leave until tomorrow, Alistair," Teagan pointed out.

"I will swim back if I have to!" Alistair announced as he all but fled from her.

Teagan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Most people would ask where my brother went wrong with that one. I would like to know where he didn't. Goodbye, Champion." With that, he hurried after his king. "We'll pick you up when we pass you!"

"I like him," Aveline announced. "He seems nice."

\----

"Thank you for coming, Champion," Orsino greeted politely. "Few will associate with me now that I am the focus of Meredith's ire."

"And yet somehow the one person who will is the person whose mother you nearly killed," Emma remarked. "Odd, that."

Orsino rolled his eyes. "Come now, Champion. Before I just enabled the near-murder of your mother and now suddenly I did it personally? Pick a story and stick to it."

"I'm going to stick to you personally trying to cut her head off unless you agree to admit that you enabled her," Emma said flatly.

Orsino sighed. "Fine, whatever. It was a long time ago and she's still alive today so it doesn't really matter and I have far bigger concerns. Meredith leaves me in a difficult position as she is not entirely wrong."

"I know," Emma instantly commiserated. "Having to admit that she might not be completely wrong about everything ever really bums me out, too."

"There's a secret meeting happening tonight and I don't know why. It might be totally innocuous, perhaps a dance since Meredith doesn't like our music. But it might be a plot to consort with demons or something and so I'd appreciate if you checked it out," Orsino told her.

"It can't be that secret if you know about it," Emma pointed out.

"Actually, several signs were put up in the Gallows last week but they're all in Ancient Tevinter and none of the templars can read it," Orsino explained. "They would have taken the sings down but that would force them to admit that they don't know what the signs say and their pride is too great for that."

"Why can't you go yourself?" Emma demanded.

"Meredith insists on knowing where I am at every moment," Orsino explained. "The templars would catch me and the others for sure and then we'd all be a target."

"But Meredith's telling people that I agree with her or something and some of them actually believe her," Emma pointed out. "I really don't think that my getting involved in this is in any way a good idea."

"If you can't find out what they're up to and stop them if need be then the templars will," Orsino said bluntly.

Emma pouted. "I hate it when people make sense when I don't want to do something!"

"Be careful. We don't want to give Meredith what she needs to justify the Rite of Annulment," Orsino cautioned.

"You know," Emma said thoughtfully, "it may not seem like it but it might actually be a positive sign that she's actually still trying to justify it instead of just killing everybody. That's what a real crazy person would do."

\----

"Not that I'm complaining that you've agreed to help Merrill try and get the Eluvian to work," Carver said as they made their way up to the Dalish camp, "but I can't help but get the feeling that you're really only doing this because Merrill mentioned that you might have to kill her if she gets possessed."

"If someone gets possessed, often the only thing you can do is kill them," Anders said wisely.

Carver stared at him. "Seriously, you are the least self-aware person I've ever met."

"Be honest, Carver," Emma told him. "If it weren't for the fact that you're married to Merrill and have two kids with her, would you think that the Eluvian is a good idea either?"

"I never said that I thought it was a good idea," Carver replied. "In fact, I don't. We've just agreed to disagree and I'm here in case she needs my help not to die while-"

"Summoning a demon and listening to it?" Anders interrupted.

"Anders, I'm not sure how you thought you had room to talk but let me assure you that you really don't," Carver retorted.

"Daisy, I still don't understand why you're risking becoming an abomination for this," Varric spoke up. "Is it just because after so long of fighting for this, you don't want risk looking stupid by admitting that you were wrong? Because I promise you that we will not judge you any more than we've already been doing this entire time."

"That's so sweet," Merrill told him. "But that's not it. If we can just regain one piece of our knowledge then all of this is worth it."

"Except that if you become possessed then you won't get to reclaim anything since the demon won't care and so your getting possessed cannot possibly be justified by results you will not be getting," Fenris pointed out.

"And how can fixing a mirror and letting you go to a different dimension help you regain your history anyway?" Isabela wanted to know.

Merrill shrugged. "That is a great question, Isabela, and I can't wait to have an answer for you. Unfortunately, first I have to fix the Eluvian."

Isabela just shook her head and looked at Carver. "You married her."

Carver smiled fondly at that. "Yeah, I did."

"So when are we getting married, Anders?" Emma asked, a little – a lot – jealous.

"Keeper!" Anders cried, running ahead. "We're back!"

"Merrill?" Marethari asked hopefully. "Does this mean that you're finally ready to come home?"

"Keeper, I've married a human and had two human babies," Merrill reminded her. "Sooner or later you're going to need to accept that that's never going to happen."

Marethari deflated. "I will never give up on you, child."

"See, this is why I hate coming here," Merrill confided. "She always makes me feel so guilty, even when I've done literally nothing wrong at all."

"Though now is most certainly not one of those cases," Anders added.

Merrill blinked at him. "Oh, no, it is. I actually wasn't intending to talk to you but Anders needed a distraction from his commitment issues."

"Well, it's not much of a distraction if you bring it up!" Anders hissed.

"It wasn't much of a distraction anyway," Emma told him. "Merrill, I want you to know that the only reason I didn't just kill you when you told me that, regardless of if I came or not, the only reason that you would not do this is if you were dead is the fact that Carver wouldn't want me to and I do not want to spend the next fifty years listening to him complaining about that time that I killed you."

Marethari looked uncertainly at her. "Merrill, you are sure that this is the kind of life you want?"

"Some days more than others," Merrill admitted.

\----

Once they eventually reached the really inconveniently located cave where Merrill's demon was located, Merrill ignored them and practically ran to the altar at the back of the cave.

"Something's wrong," she finally announced.

"I'll say," Anders agreed. "Perhaps it's the fact that you're trying to summon a demon to help you use blood magic to revive a dodgy artifact that turned to of your people into darkspawn."

"That's not it, no," Merrill informed him.

"Well, what about the fact that you're forcing me to agree with Anders?" Fenris inquired.

"I can see how that might be strange for you but, no, that wasn't it either," Merrill replied.

"Are you sure, Daisy?" Varric asked her. "Because they have some good points. Well…Anders did and Fenris agreed. The bit about Fenris and Anders agreeing isn't as unprecedented as they make it sound. They both hate Sebastian, after all."

"That doesn't count," Isabela argued. "Everyone hates Sebastian. The grand cleric really doesn't seem all that fond of him and if she were allowed to hate people then I'm sure that she would."

"That's really not it," Merrill insisted.

"It probably is," Aveline remarked. "But what is it that you believe is wrong outside of this whole situation?"

"The demon is gone," Merrill informed them, her voice shaking.

She was right. That was a problem.

"So you're admitting to working with a demon now?" Anders asked triumphantly. "Whatever happened to 'Anders, I know what I'm doing and I would never work with a demon and could never end up like you'?"

"I still feel that way," Merrill claimed. "It's good advice, I really wish you would have taken it."

"Regardless of the quality of the advice – and it's really not that good – you only issued it after I already was in this predicament!" Anders exclaimed.

"I would have told you earlier if I had known you earlier," Merrill insisted. "And it's not like I trust the demon or anything."

"I'm sorry but how many times have you gone to it for advice on something incredibly dangerous and that you don't understand and then done exactly what it told you to do?" Fenris asked pointedly.

Merrill looked down. "I…"

"Maybe you managed to free it with all of your good work," Fenris suggested. "The only question is whether or not it's going to want to 'thank' you in person."

Merrill frowned. "No, the demon can't be released so easily. It's a really strong seal."

"Well, that's done," Emma said cheerfully, looking hopefully towards the exit. "What do you say we just head back to Kirkwall now?"


	39. The Ferelden Way

When Merrill finished her truly epic rant about how they couldn't just leave well enough alone and go back to Kirkwall but instead needed to try and find and stop the missing demon, Emma just yawned. "So is that a 'no' then?"

"Of course it's a no!" Merrill snapped.

"She's kind of nasty today," Emma complained.

"I'm not being nasty!" Merrill objected. "It's just that this is really important and-"

"I can explain what happened," Marethari said, walking up behind them.

Emma jumped. "Maker! Were you, like, following us or something? How did you even get up here so quickly?" she asked suspiciously. "Is anyone else freaked out by this?"

"I don't know," Isabela replied. "Quietly walking so as to not attract our attention when we were focusing on other stuff doesn't really strike me as all that suspicious."

"I'm the Keeper and we've been here for seven years," Marethari explained. "You think I don't know a shortcut?"

"Merrill evidently doesn't know a shortcut," Anders pointed out.

"Yes and I feel like if you really knew of a shortcut then you really should have told us," Emma complained. "Because, seriously, that is extremely rude. We had to walk all this way and it apparently only took you five minutes."

"Merrill has been too busy living in the city, studying blood magic, and consorting with a demon to learn the lay of the land," Marethari explained. "I'm very disappointed in her."

Merrill looked hurt for a moment before brushing it off. "Never mind that. You said that you can explain? Well, explain then."

"The demon always wanted you to repair the Eluvian. Since it's a portal between dimensions, it would have freed it from its prison and it would have been free to attack this world. You would have been it's first victim and I couldn't…I didn't have the heart to lose you," Marethari said solemnly.

"W-what?" Merrill asked, horrified.

"This sounds an awful lot like you spent all these years telling her not to do this but never actually bothered to get around to explaining why you didn't want her to do this," Carver accused.

"I did not want to upset her," Marethari defended herself.

"And so you decided that the best way to not upset her was by…disapproving of her and allowing the clan to turn against her without letting her know just why that was and risking that one day she might get possessed or release a demon?" Carver demanded angrily.

"I never would have let her get possessed," Marethari claimed. "But yes, all the rest of that is true. Looking back, perhaps that was not the best way to handle the situation but there's really nothing that can be done about it now, is there?"

"You don't even look sorry!" Carver complained.

"It is Dalish policy to never look sorry," Marethari claimed.

"What did you do with the demon?" Merrill asked quietly.

"I couldn't fight it in the Fade and I couldn't free it without making it stronger," Marethari admitted. "And so I accepted it into myself so that you would be safe."

"Do you expect me to thank you?" Merrill asked, surprisingly cold. "What part of 'I can handle it' and 'it's my price to pay' didn't you get?"

"I knew that that was what you wanted but I didn't want to watch that happen to you," Marethari said quietly. "You are like a daughter to me. If there must be a price, which your stubbornness assured us there must be, then it shall be mine to pay."

"But what about the clan?" Merrill demanded. "They need you."

"Perhaps they need you," Marethari suggested.

"After the last six years of believing I'm a monster? After Carver and Malcolm and Rowan? No. I-I can never go back," Merrill told her. "I don't even think that I want to. You can't do this to them."

"It's already done," Marethari said quietly. "There is nothing else to be done."

"Back in Ferelden, Connor Guerrin was possessed by a demon and so the Circle sent somebody into the Fade to drive the demon off," Anders offered. "It took a lot of lyrium but, well, we kind of have lyrium to spare."

"Everything's done better in Ferelden," Emma said, pleased.

Marethari looked uncertain. "I don't know. That sounds risky."

"Compared to killing you, I think this is an acceptable risk," Varric said dryly. "In fact, since we won't have to fight you in the real world where innocents can get hurt and there can be collateral damage, this is probably less risky than getting yourself possessed and fighting you out here."

"It will be fine," Emma assured her. "Aveline?"

Obligingly – for a change – Aveline snuck behind Marethari and hit her over the head with her sword.

"I can't believe she did this," Merrill groused.

"She probably saved your life," Varric pointed out.

"We don't know that! She knowingly and purposely got possessed because she was so sure that I was going to be tricked and trapped. Well, maybe I wouldn't have been. Who knows? But now I'll never be able to find out and I'll never be able to fix the Eluvian!" Merrill cried out.

"It's rather bad form to be so upset about someone who risked their life for you and might still die," Fenris told her.

"I know, I know but…she always treats me like a child!" Merrill said, waving her hands around.

"And you can take that up with her once she's no longer possessed," Isabela told her. "Or at least rant at her grave, I guess. Make sure you're drunk first, though, or else it's kind of weird."

Carver threw Marethari over his shoulder and they left the cave.

Almost immediately, they were set upon by several Dalish.

"Honestly," Emma said, annoyed. "Did the entire freaking clan follow us up here? Why didn't we just make it a field trip or something?"

"We saw the Keeper come up here," one of them accused. "Where is she?"

"Why would you follow her?" Fenris inquired.

"…Because…we…did," the elf said not at all helpfully. "Now answer the question or we will have no choice but to assume that you killed her because you're a foul blood mage who consorts with demons!"

"Would someone diplomatic like to handle it?" Emma asked, glancing Varric's way.

Varric stepped forward. "I suppose I can. Marethari called us up here because there was a demon that needed to be disposed of. She and Merrill successfully killed the demon but she's badly wounded and so we must take her to a healer in Kirkwall. She's going to be fine, though, as long as you let us pass and get her the help she needs."

"Well why didn't you say so?" the elf asked. He started making shooing motions. "Go on, get our Keeper all healed up so that we may hopefully finally move on. Although, for the record, we still hate and blame Merrill for this."

Merrill sighed. "And she really thought I could ever go back to this?"

"Hey, you don't get to reject us!" the elf cried out, stamping his feet. "Only we get to reject you! Which we are! Right now!"

"Fine, you can reject me," Merrill said tiredly.

"Hey, you don't get to agree with us!"

\----

"Is there a reason that you've brought an unconscious Dalish Keeper to me?" Orsino asked uncertainly.

"There is," Emma confirmed. "In fact, there is usually – but not always – a reason for the things that I do."

"And that reason is…?" Orsino prompted.

"She got herself possessed and we don't want to kill her so we need a ritual to save her," Emma explained.

"I'm sorry but I'm not sure that we can do that," Orsino said apologetically.

"Why not?" Emma demanded, glaring at him.

"Well, we need a great deal of lyrium-" Orsino started.

"We brought our own," Varric interrupted, holding the bag of lyrium up.

Orsino blinked, surprised. "Well, that's certainly unexpected. But Meredith would never allow-"

"Isabela's got that covered," Emma assured him. "She's keeping Meredith distracted in her office by proposing interesting changes to the templar uniform and confusing her by subtlety flirting with her."

"But we would need several mages and the templars don't like to let us gather," Orsino told them.

"We brought out the big swords and actually sought out Sebastian, of all people, to tell the templars he was starting up a prayer group," Emma revealed, making a face. "And knowing him, you'll probably actually have to go to that. But we will save Marethari since that is what the Ferelden Circle would do and I'm feeling a little homesick."

"How will you let them know what's really going on so that the ones who attend will be willing to do this?" Orsino pressed.

"Simple," Emma replied. "Anders is explaining the situation in Ancient Tevinter."

"Well, I guess you've got all your bases covered," Orsino marveled, shaking his head. "Will you be going in yourself?"

Emma laughed. "Yeah, I'm not that invested in saving her."

"I'll go," Merrill volunteered.

"And Fenris and I agreed – for once – that Merrill's just as likely to try and learn more about fixing the Eluvian and get possessed as she is to actually do what she's supposed to do and kill the demon so Fenris is going," Emma finished. "Any questions?"

\----

Marethari was saved and Emma couldn't get out of the Gallows fast enough (certainly not fast enough to escape Carver's constant "Bethany's right there, Emma. See, she's even helping with the exorcism. Just say hi!"). Merrill and Carver went off with Marethari to go convince her to just let the clan move on now that Merrill was in no danger – real or otherwise – from the demon.

Somehow, Emma found herself in Aveline's office.

"Emma, it pains me to ask you this but people seem to believe what you say. Everyone thinks I'm coddling my men and so I need you to come with me and watch my husband's patrol tonight so you can tell them that I'm not coddling them. And then I'm going to need you to go to a treasonous meeting where the old guard captain is trying to stage a mutiny and deal with that," Aveline informed her.

"I could," Emma agreed. "But all of this sounds like 'not my problem.'"

"Emma!" Aveline said, appalled. "I get that we don't like each other but what about Varric?"

"Varric?" Emma brightened. "Good idea. I should go see if he needs anything."

\----

Emma had to stop by the viscount's keep again on her way home because apparently Carver had left something of his in there and he thought it was terribly rude of her and Anders to just without waiting for him.

The minute they walked in, three women walked down the stairs to meet them.

"So, even the Divine fears us now?" one of them asked proudly. "She should. Kill the spies!"

"Is there any point in asking what in the world is going on?" Emma wondered to the world at large as she began her counterattack.

"I believe we're under attack," Merrill offered. "Although I'm not sure how we're 'spies.' Don't spies have to pretend to be on your side or something? We just walked in here."

"Crazy blood mages rarely make sense," Anders opined.

When the blood mages in front of them were dead, Emma looked over to see a red-head pulling daggers out of two more.

"The Revolutionists," the woman said, "I should have known that they would be part of this."

Emma clutched at her ears. "Maker! My ears! Are they bleeding? They feel like they're bleeding."

"I don't think her voice is that bad," Merrill told her.

"Well that's because yours is terrible, too," Emma told her.

The woman looked confused.

"Emma hates Orlesians and their accents," Carver explained. "Now, who are you?"

"I am Sister Nightingale," the woman introduced.

Emma stopped clutching at her ears long enough to say, "Lies! Her name is Sister Leliana and way back in Lothering, after you had gone to Ostagar, she used to walk around insisting that that Maker was talking to her. She's kind of super crazy."

Leliana flushed. "That's…not quite what happened…" She cleared her throat. "Didn't the grand cleric send you to meet with me to tell me about the state of the mages situation in Kirkwall?"

Aveline, who worked truly ridiculous hours and had very little to show for it, stepped out of her office to go see what the commotion was. "You didn't inform the guards, of course."

Leliana was puzzled. "Why in the world would I need to inform the city guards about my top-secret and essential mission for the Divine?"

"You wouldn't," Carver replied. "Aveline just likes to pretend that she's important."

"Ah," Leliana said, nodding. "I think I have a pretty good grasp of the mage situation now. I let word that an agent of the Divine would be here and because I was attacked by about five people, I have no choice but to condemn this entire city since it is clearly out of control."

"I…wouldn't argue with the fact that Kirkwall has its problems," Carver said slowly. "But seriously? You're going to let the fact that five people attacked you turn you against everyone? You're telling me there's not five bad seeds in the apples of Orlais?"

"No, there are," Leliana assured him. "It's just that what are the odds that the only bad seeds are the ones who came after me? I was attacked and therefore I must draw my own conclusions and quickly let the Divine know how hopeless this all is."

Anders' eyes began to glow blue.

Carver grabbed his arm. "No, don't kill her!"

"But she's going to send an Exalted March down on our heads!" Anders protested, his voice deepening. "Or at the very least get us a Rite of Annulment."

"And killing her will only be a worse report than any of that," Carver pointed out.

Anders hesitated and then sighed, shutting his eyes. When he opened them again the demonic glow was gone.

"I have to say that I also find that highly disconcerting," Leliana informed them.

"You should probably go before-" Carver started to say.

"Mage situation?" Anders demanded. "You want to know about the mage situation? I'll tell you about the mage situation!"

Carver sighed. It was going to be a long night. "Too late."

\----

Emma stepped into the Chantry and everyone held their breath as she stepped over the threshold.

"What?" she asked, annoyed.

"It's just…you didn't burst into flames," Isabela said, awed.

"Why would I burst into flames?" Emma wondered.

"Well, you're…you," Fenris said vaguely.

"That's not really an answer," Emma pointed out.

"When was the last time you were in here?" Varric demanded.

"I…don't remember," Emma admitted.

"Certainly not since you've become the Champion," Carver told her.

Emma shrugged. "Hey, I'm the Champion now. Meredith now actually has to at least humor me. I don't have to go to the Chantry if I don't want to. But I have to talk to the grand cleric. It's important."

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian was prattling on while the grand cleric didn't really seem to be listening. When Elthina's eyes landed on Emma, she dropped the prayer book she was holding.

"I-Champion!" she said, stunned.

"Yes, that's me," Emma said tightly. "Seriously, this is not a big deal. I've been in the Chantry before."

"This truly is a sign that the Maker has turned away from the world," Fenris told her.

"Of course it's not a surprise!" the grand cleric blatantly lied. "It's just…was there something you wanted, dear?"

"Yeah, I was in the viscount's keep last night and got attacked and then met a 'Sister Nightingale' – really Sister Leliana – and she said that she's going to take the fact that she told everyone where to find her and was attacked as proof that Kirkwall is completely without hope and she further suggested that, if you want to live, you evacuate immediately," Emma explained.

"I…what?" Elthina couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, why didn't you tell me to stay away from the keep that night? Or to actively go there expecting to meet with someone?" Emma demanded.

"You never come by the Chantry," the grand cleric replied. "I had wanted to tell you and ask you to go but you never gave me the opportunity."

"Everyone else sends me letters that Carver reads and then lets me know if he thinks it's important," Emma said pointedly.

The grand cleric nodded. "Very well. In the future, I will make sure to send you a letter."

"Do you see, Your Grace?" Sebastian asked urgently. "Everyone is agreed. You must leave Kirkwall for your own protection!"

"What kind of grand cleric would I be if I abandoned Kirkwall now in its hour of need?" she demanded.

"A living one," Anders murmured.

"If Her Grace will not leave Kirkwall then neither will I," Sebastian declared. "I'll be like her bodyguard or something."

"You're not fooling anyone," Isabela said coolly. "You were never going to leave even if she did."

"Besides, the situation is deteriorating rapidly enough without my absence. What do you think a sign that everyone believes that it is too dangerous for even me to remain would do to everyone else?" Elthina inquired. "There would be open fighting in a matter of weeks!"

"You really should think of your health," Anders urged.


	40. World's Worst Sister

"Hey, where's Carver anyway?" Emma inquired. "He didn't remind me about that meeting we're supposed to go to with the mages and I almost forgot about it."

"You did forget about it," Merrill told her. "That was last night."

Emma twitched. "Then why didn't you remind me? We cohabitate!"

Merrill shrugged. "I thought that Carver was going to."

"Since the meeting was last night, why are we checking it out now?" Varric wondered.

"Well, there might be some evidence or still some stragglers here and there," Emma pointed out. "And maybe I'll feel less like I just blew this off if I still came at some point even if it was hours after I was actually supposed to be here."

They saw a mage and a templar standing in the building and calmly chatting.

"Templars are involved?" Emma asked, surprised.

"Unless this templar is just exceptionally stupid and doesn't realize that someone dressed in mage get-up is, in fact, a mage," Fenris suggested.

Emma shrugged. "There's actually a good case for either, I think."

"See! I told you that she was after us!" the mage cried out.

"After you?" Emma asked, confused. "Look, I was just told to go check out your party. I really have no idea what's going on."

The templar looked terribly upset. "No, not her. I can't do this. I'm sorry." He ran off.

"I've never seen a templar refuse to attack me before," Emma said, surprised. "Huh."

"What about Carver?" Varric asked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Please. He's barely a templar. And you all are less templar-ly than he is."

They quickly dispatched with the fools that attacked them (there was more than just the one hiding, mages and templars both, but they really weren't anything compared to the Arishok that she hadn't actually fought) and then Emma went in search of this very strange templar.

He was waiting for them, quite patiently, right outside.

"I told them not to do it. I don't hold with kidnapping and if I had known just who it was…" the templar shook his head. "I would have warned you both, I swear!"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Emma asked him.

The templar shook his head. "No, you don't. But I know that you're Emma Hawke which means that the brother they kidnapped is Carver."

"Is he…a friend of yours?" Emma asked delicately, having difficulty imagining Carver actually possessing friends.

The templar nodded. "Yes. My name is Keran and Carver is a very good friend. We actually met before he joined the templars, six years ago when he rescued me from a blood magic cult."

"I don't remember this," Emma said, frowning.

"You refused to help because it involved aiding a templar," Varric reminded her.

"I still don't remember but that does sound like me," Emma agreed. "So that's where Carver's gotten off to! I suppose that I can't really blame him for failing to remind me even if he really shouldn't have let himself get kidnapped."

"You could show a little more concern," Keran said reprovingly.

Emma waved him off. "I'm plenty concerned. Now tell me, who kidnapped my brother and why? And where is he?"

"They took him to our base on the Wounded Coast. They said that we needed a hostage as leverage but I know that, with a brother like yours, you've got to be reasonable," Keran told her, valiantly ignoring the way that everyone in the party except for Anders and Emma started laughing at that.

"But…why? What's going on?" Emma demanded.

"They want you to see how dangerous Meredith is, how keeping her in charge will only lead to open war on the mages," Keran explained.

Emma was very, very quiet.

"…Champion?" Keran asked finally, uncertainly.

Emma held up one finger. "I need a minute."

It took another five before Emma nodded shakily.

"Can I talk now?" Keran asked.

Emma ignored that. "I hate Meredith. I hate her a lot. You didn't need to do anything to convince me and if you did this wouldn't really have helped your case."

Keran's eyes widened. "Really? You support mages?"

Emma pointed to herself. "Mage. My sister is a mage. My fiancé is a mage. My sister-in-law is a mage." She pointed to Anders and Merrill in their turn. "I've publicly supported mages. I'm involved with at least half of the things that the mage underground gets up to. I was there for Alrik's death! I still send angry letters to the Chantry for taking my sister away! The real question is why anyone thought that I was supporting Meredith in the first place."

Keran looked sheepish. "All I know is that Meredith seems pretty sure that you're on her side."

"And, as we can all agree, Meredith is pretty crazy. Why should you listen to her rantings about me instead of all the evidence to the contrary?" Emma demanded.

Keran fidgeted. "You'll have to take it up with Trask."

\----

"Is he sleeping?" Fenris wondered, peering closely at Carver who lay not far away on the ground. "He's breathing and he's not bleeding."

"He better not be," Emma said dangerously. "Not after all the wandering I've had to do to get here."

Thrask sighed as he stepped towards them. "I guess it was too much to hope that you wouldn't have come here."

"Says the kidnapper," Emma snapped.

"Hey, remember that time you blackmailed me over the fact that my dead daughter had been an apostate?" Thrask returned.

Emma blinked. "Honestly, no. I did that?"

"You did that," Aveline confirmed. "And right in front of me, too."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Please. Like that matters."

"I must confess that, despite the fact that you're terrible, you're also pretty rabidly pro-mage. Why would you side with Meredith now?" Thrask asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I'm not on Meredith's side. Yes, I regularly talk to her but since I hate her so much – even though I do find her strangely compelling – I really can't pass up the opportunity to harass her on a regular basis. Where in the world is everyone getting this weird 'Emma is pro-Meredith' thing from anyway?"

Thrask opened his mouth.

"And if you tell me that it's because Meredith told you that I'm on her side then I'm going to hit you. As we can all agree, Meredith is pretty crazy. Why should you listen to her rantings about me instead of all the evidence to the contrary?" Emma demanded.

"You're not on Meredith's side?" Thrask was delighted. "Wonderful! I wish you would have just told us that in the first place so we didn't have to resort to this silly kidnapping mix-up."

"I would have had you asked or had I known that you thought that I was on Meredith's side," Emma replied. "Seriously, do I need to make an announcement or something? Oh, wait, I already did. I've made several announcements and it's not seeming to do me any good."

"Release Carver Hawke," Thrask ordered.

"No!" a crazed-looking woman hissed. "The templar dies. Then the Champion!"

"Stand down, Grace," Thrask ordered.

Not one to take chances where the lives of her family was at stake (at least if she weren't getting something out of it), Emma mostly immobilized her.

"Okay, who are you and why do you want to kill me?" she demanded.

"I am Grace," Grace introduced herself. "Several years ago I had escaped from the Starkhaven Circle and you let me go."

"…Am I supposed to apologize for this?" Emma wondered. "Is this supposed to be a problem or something?"

"I got caught again!" Grace complained.

"And that sucks," Emma said sympathetically. "But how is that my fault? At all? Even in crazy blood mage land?"

"I think that you underestimate crazy blood mages and the depths to which their insanity can sink," Anders opined.

"If you hadn't let me go then I wouldn't have been caught then!" Grace cried out.

Emma stared at her, brows furrowed. "Yeah. Because you would have been caught the day that I first met you. Moron."

Grace valiantly attempted to move. "I'm not a moron!"

"Yeah, you are, and now you're boring me," Emma said, yawning. "Right, Thrask, you were on freeing Carver, I believe?"

Thrask started. "Right."

A couple of the mages looked like they wanted to stop him but with Grace immobilized, they didn't dare.

One of the mages cut himself and blood magic flowed over Carver.

Emma tensed. "What are you doing?"

"Grace used blood magic to hold him," Thrask explained.

"Why would you let them use blood magic on him?" Emma demanded.

Thrask shrugged. "I'm trying to be more open-minded."

"Not about blood magic, you shouldn't be!" Emma exclaimed.

"Most of my supporters are blood mages," Thrask said pointedly.

Emma shook her head in annoyance. "Bloody politics…"

Carver coughed a little as he sat up. "It's about time you got here."

Emma's jaw dropped. "R-really? You get kidnapped by crazy blood mages and their templar allies and that's all you have to say?"

Carver shrugged. "Well, it was kind of annoying and won't really motivate me to go in to work more often but I knew you'd take care of it. I also figured it was something to do with you but I'm choosing to be generous and not blame you. Even though I totally could and could probably make a pretty good case for it."

Emma snorted. "How sweet."

Carver stretched and stood up. "Well, now that that's over with, what's going to happen to these people?"

"I recommend that you get out of here," Emma advised. "Either leave Kirkwall or get back to the Gallows or whatever before the templars come."

Thrask nodded. "I will, Champion. And I am sorry about the inconvenience even if you do probably deserve it." He glanced at Grace. "But, um, what about her?"

Emma blinked. "What? Oh, right." She took out a dagger and slit the girl's throat.

There were a few dismayed exclamations.

"What was that?" Thrask demanded.

Emma shrugged. "She had the crazy eyes and was blaming me for doing her a favor. I don't trust her and, well, she helped kidnap my brother. Let's hope that I continue to work under the assumption that this was all her fault, shall we?"

Thrask looked a little nervous. "Right, such a terrible thing for her to have pulled off all by herself…"

\----

"Emma, what do you say we go to the Hanged Man right now?" Fenris asked, pulling her aside.

"I love the Hanged Man," Emma announced. "I'd say that's a wonderful idea. But you really don't like it there all that much and you normally disapprove of going during the day. What's going on?"

"It turns out, I really do have a sister and I'll spare you the details of how I verified the story and contacted her but she's here now and she said that she'll be in the tavern during the day every day for a week," Fenris explained. "I would have asked her to stay with me but we've never met, at least that I can remember, and so it might be awkward. Besides, this could all be a trap anyway and I don't want to deal with a home invasion."

Emma was unimpressed. "Seriously, she comes all the way from Tevinter to Kirkwall and she's just going to hang out in a tavern all day? Lame."

"She didn't come here for that," Fenris growled. "She came here for me."

Emma coughed. "Oh, right. Well, feel free to go. You don't need my permission to have your little family reunion."

"And I wasn't asking for it," Fenris replied. "I just would like you and the rest of our heavily armed friends to come with me since it's probably a trap."

"Sounds good," Emma agreed.

"Oh, but in case it's not then please don't ruin this for me," Fenris requested.

Emma looked almost hurt. "What makes you think that I would want to ruin your family reunion?"

"Well…you keep refusing to have one with Bethany," Fenris pointed out.

Emma sighed. "Fenris that…that has nothing to do with…"

"Then what does it have to do with?" Fenris demanded.

Emma looked uncertain. "I…Everyone goes around doing pretty much whatever they want and no one catches them using magic. And yet somehow, they caught Bethany."

"Varric bribes people not to notice the mages that aren't you and he was on the expedition," Fenris replied.

"He's not so careless as to let him being out of town ruin what he's trying to protect," Emma said stubbornly. "And yet Bethany came to their attention when Anders didn't and he was openly running a clinic. And yet she wouldn't let me kill those templars – it wasn't even all that many! – and she let them take her away. And Carver and Mother say she seems happy there. I really have to wonder how much of this is a problem for her and that's why…Well."

Fenris nodded. "I quite understand."

Bolstered, Emma led the way to the Hanged Man.

"How are you supposed to know who she is if you don't remember her?" Merrill asked innocently.

"Maybe she'll be the only young elven woman here," Isabela suggested.

Fortunately, a red-headed elf quickly made things easy for them. "It really is you, Leto."

"Varania. Leto?" Fenris repeated, confused.

"Yes, Leto," Varania said. "That is your name. Or it was before you lost your memory in that damned ritual."

"You learn something new every day," Varric mused. "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to call you that, though. We've known each other for six years."

"I'm not sure I'll ever call myself that, either," Fenris agreed. "I…I think I remember you, Varania."

"Don't you just love that convenient amnesia that goes away the second you lay eyes on someone you once knew?" Carver asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes, I think that that would be very convenient amnesia indeed," Emma replied. "Not as convenient as not ever having amnesia but, well, what can you do?"

"I'm sorry," Varania said, looking down.

"Why…?" Fenris asked uncertainly. His eyes hardened. "If you brought Danarius here then no amount of 'sorry's will never make up for that and I'm probably going to kill you."

"Ah, my little Fenris, predictable as always," a smug man in mage robes said with a smirk as he descended the stairs to meet them. He was followed by several faceless guards.

Fenris froze completely at the sight of him and Emma considered it her duty to break the ice.

"Is that Danarius?" she asked, unimpressed. "I could totally kill him."

"You're a confident one, aren't you?" Danarius asked, amused. "You shouldn't blame your sister, Fenris. She did what any good Imperium citizen should do."

"Totally sell out her family?" Emma asked, outraged. "Man, Tevinter fails, mage paradise or not."

"I never wanted these filthy markings, Danarius, but I won't let you kill me to get them," Fenris snarled.

"Actually, you competed with hundreds of others for the privilege of getting them," Danarius contradicted.

"Lies!" Fenris cried out. "Why would I do that?"

Danarius waved his hand. "Something about the freedom of your mother and sister. I don't really remember; it was such a small thing to me. So this is your new master, then? The Champion of Kirkwall? Impressive."

"Is that really how you see the world?" Emma asked, surprised. "In terms of 'oh, this person must belong to this person'? Because that's not really how we roll in Kirkwall, let alone my beloved Ferelden."

"I'll give you a lot of money for him," Danarius offered.

Fenris stopped and looked curiously at Emma. "You really like money and we're not particularly close. Are you interested in his offer? Because when he says a lot, he means a lot."

"Maybe you shouldn't encourage her," Varric suggested.

"I think you should do it," Anders spoke up. "He hates mages and thinks we all should be locked up so why not send him back to slavery?"

Carver rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Anders! You know that this undercuts your whole 'mages are like slave' thing, right, if you want to send a slave back?"

"I don't think that it undercuts it at all," Anders said stubbornly.

"Well, I do," Emma told him. "Anders, stop taking your opinions from Justice. Justice, try to remember that you want to be justice and not vengeance and there is nothing just about slavery. That's why we compare the plight of the mages to it, remember?"

Anders sighed. "I'm clearly outvoted here."

"Honestly, Cassandra, I couldn't believe it either," Varric announced. "I mean, it was kind of blatant hypocrisy but, well, this was pretty near the end."

Danarius frowned. "Who's Cassandra? And the end of what?"

"And Fenris, as for us 'not being close'? Please. It's been six years. We're family at this point. Except for Sebastian, of course. So no, Danarius, we're not going to sell Fenris to you. And now we're going to kill you," Emma declared boldly.

"Oh, are you?" Danarius was coldly amused…or at least he was for the next ten minutes until they'd managed to kill him and all of his guards.

Fenris looked grimly satisfied. "I have wanted to crush his heart ever since I first discovered that I had the power to crush hearts."

"I am all for achieving life dreams as long as they don't involve oppressing mages," Emma announced, giving him a thumbs up.

"I just wish he would have begged for mercy, first," Aveline said. "That would have been fitting, I think."

"We can't have everything," Merrill said wistfully.

Varania's eyes were huge and she slowly backed away. "Somehow this is not how I thought that this would go…"

Varric snorted. "Clearly."

"I didn't have a choice!" she claimed.

"That is such bull!" Carver said angrily. "You could have chosen to not tell him about Fenris and where he was and then lure Fenris into this trap. Even if he gave you a good incentive for betraying your own brother, that's still a choice! Even if he would have killed you, guess, what, that's a choice!"

"You don't understand!" Varania cried out. "Freedom…what you've been chasing for so long…it's not all it's cracked up to be. No one wants to give work to an ex-slave girl! We were barely surviving. You have no idea what I've had to do since Mother died."

"It might have helped if you'd moved and not mentioned the slave part," Aveline suggested helpfully.

"I've spent enough years in slavery to know that that's not true," Fenris told her harshly. "You wouldn't believe the things I had to do for Danarius. And things aren't perfect now but they're better. If you truly think life as a slave is better than you're either an idiot or you had a far different experience than I did. Maybe both. Don't you dare resent me for the gift that I lost everything to give you! Send yourself back into slavery for all I care if you're so nostalgic!"

"I…" Varania trailed off and then took a deep breath. "And I couldn't even leave Tevinter or I'd be snapped up and sent to one of your barbaric Circles. Danarius promised to make me his apprentice! I was just trying to better my life!"

"You sold out your own brother for the chance to become a magister?" Fenris cried out indignantly.

"You gave up everything, your own identity, once before to see us taken care of. Can you blame me for trying to see that through?" Varania asked, her voice cracking.

"Yes, yes I can," Fenris said coldly. "I sacrificed everything for you once and made my own life into a living hell. That doesn't give you the right to ask that of me again. And you didn't even ask! You would have been the new Hadriana and when Danarius took me back you would have been a princess in a house that enslaved your brother! You disgust me."

"Your sister's a mage? You bloody hypocrite! You really are just jealous!" Anders exclaimed triumphantly.

Carver held up a hand. "Okay, can we pause this sibling drama for a moment? I need to yell at Anders again."

Fenris considered. "I can wait."

"Anders, do you remember how Fenris has no memory?" Carver began. "How he just learned that his birth name was Leto when he met Varania? How he didn't even know that she existed until three years ago? How he didn't like mages when we first met him? Logically, how can his dislike of mages spring from any jealousy if he didn't like them before he even knew about her?"

"Maybe it was subconscious," Anders suggested.

Carver rolled his eyes. "And furthermore, do you remember how he was enslaved and abused by mages? Sort of like…" Carver practically choked on the words. "Sort of like you say mages are abused and enslaved by templars and that gives you the right to hate them? Do you think that maybe, even if there was an element of jealousy involved, he has a far more compelling reason to hate mages than that?"

"But…they're mages," Anders protested. "I don't understand how anyone can hate mages."

Carver sighed. "Of course you don't." He nodded to Fenris. "You may proceed."

"Thank you," Fenris said before advancing on his sister, his hand held out and glowing menacingly.

"Help!" Varania cried out. "Don't let him do this!"

"You've really got to love the apathetic Hanged Man clientele," Isabela said, looking over at the other patrons who were steadfastly ignoring them and continuing on with their business. "Maker knows that if I didn't know you people I'd be right there with them."

"Fenris…stop," Emma pleaded.

"Why should I?" Fenris demanded. "She was ready to see me killed!"

"Enslaved, not killed," Aveline corrected. "Not that that's any better."

"Because, like it or not, she's your sister and you can't just kill your family," Emma said firmly. "That's what separates us from people like her."

Fenris closed his eyes briefly. "Get out."

Varania didn't need to be told twice.

"Since we're here," Fenris said, storming up to the bar and taking a seat. "Keep them coming."


	41. Anders' Blatant Lies

Anders was unaccountably nervous when Emma walked into the room.

"Emma, I've been thinking about what you said," Anders told her. "And what everyone else said, I suppose, but aside from Varric I really don't care what any of them thinks and so it's mostly about you. Justice…I was just trying to help him when I accepted him into my life but everything's gone so dreadfully wrong since then. Almost from the start, really."

"Anders…" Emma said softly, moving closer.

"And I never really thought that I could ever find happiness again – especially with all of the anti-looking I was doing – but you're just too bloody persistent," Anders said fondly. "And I've come to realize that for us to have a future, something must be done about Justice."

Emma brightened at this; it was exactly what she wanted to hear. "We can go back to the Circle and ask them to do another exorcism."

"I don't think it's that simple," Anders said sadly. "It's been too many years and it's not an outright possession. Sure, he occasionally takes over but for the most part we're just…merged."

"I still think it's worth a tr-" Emma started to say.

Anders shook his head. "No, there's really no point."

Emma frowned. "But…you wouldn't have said all those things unless there was an answer. Or were you just going to tell me that you were going to start looking?"

"No, I wouldn't do that to you," Anders said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. "I have a plan to get rid of Justice but I need your help to do it."

"I'd do anything for you, Anders," Emma said seriously. "And you know I'm not just saying that but actually mean that and that that worries my brother to no end."

"I do," Anders confirmed. "And that means the world to me. And you know that I would do anything for you as long as it doesn't get in the way of my self-appointed mission to save the mages of Thedas."

Emma smiled sardonically. "I do, yes. But…I mean…I have to ask. What does Justice say about all of this? Is he going to try to sabotage it?"

Anders shook his head. "No, actually. Justice wants this as much as I do. He misses his home in the Fade, misses the simplicity of life as a spirit. And he's also concerned about the uncontrollable rage that wells up within us sometimes and threatens the innocent. He will support us in this."

"So what do you need?" Emma asked him.

"I've gathered what I could but there's a few outlandish ingredients I'll need your help collecting," Anders explained. "There's a powder that the Tevinter call "sela petrae" and a small amount of drakestone."

"So is it just this potion or is there a ritual or…?" Emma asked curiously.

Anders shook his head. "No, no ritual. Just the potion and then…boom! Justice and I are free."

" 'Boom'?" Emma repeated curiously.

Anders' smiled faltered for a second. "It's…just a figure of speech."

"It's kind of an odd figure of speech," Emma pointed out. "In fact, it's an outright explosive one."

"Well, you know me," Anders said with forced cheer. "I love explosions."

"What's sela petrae and where do we find it?" Emma inquired.

"It's a crystallized mixture of manure and urine – I know, I know – and we'll probably need to look in the sewers since it is rather exotic. The formula I found to separate Justice and I is Tevinter, you know," Anders told her.

Emma made a face. "I hope you know that I'm only doing this because I love you."

Anders chuckled. "Whatever it takes."

"And drakestone?" Emma asked.

Anders shrugged. "Tevinters used to mine it for their apothecaries. There should still be some in the bone pit."

"Bone pit?" Emma repeated.

Anders looked thoughtful. "Of course, I heard that all the workers there were eaten by a dragon so we might want to bring the others for that one but just tell them that you wanted to slay a dragon."

Emma winced. "Oh, boy."

"But you will do it?" Anders asked urgently. "This is the only chance that I will ever have to be free, Emma."

Emma nodded slowly. "Yes, I will."

Anders brushed her hair out of her face. "Oh, I knew that I could count on you!"

Emma smiled up at him. "And when this is over you'll finally let me set a date for our wedding?"

Anders kissed her. "Oh, Emma, when this is over I will do everything in the world with you."

\----

"Fenris," Emma said, not quite able to meet his eyes.

Fenris immediately jumped up, concerned. "What's wrong? Is it Anders? Did he do something stupid?"

"I…" Emma threw her head back. "I don't know."

"Tell me everything," Fenris instructed.

Emma hesitated. "It's just…I need to know. And you speak Tevinter and spent time around Tevinter mages. Magisters. Whatever."

Fenris' concern wasn't abating. "I did, yes. What's all this about?"

Emma licker her lips. "I just…Can you tell me…What is 'sela petrae'?"

Fenris' eyes widened. "Emma, what's going on?"

"Just tell me," Emma pleaded. "Please. I already know where it comes from but not what it does."

"Sela Petrae is a very powerful explosive," Fenris told her solemnly. "It's just about the most powerful explosive that the Tevinter Imperium has, only surpassed by the black powder that the qunari possess."

"So imbibing it would be a bad idea," Emma concluded hollowly.

"Drinking it could kill you," Fenris confirmed. "And anyone who knows anything about it would shy away from drinking it even without that. Why, Emma? What's going on?"

Emma smiled sadly. "I've got to go."

\----

"There you are, Emma!" Anders exclaimed, waving her over. He was standing on the steps of the Chantry. "There's one more thing that I need you to do for me."

"What?" Emma asked quietly.

"I must get into the Chantry and do something extremely important but equally secret without being seen. I trust that most of the sheep in the Chantry won't notice a thing but please distract the grand cleric for me," Anders requested.

"And you won't even tell me why." It wasn't a question.

"No," Anders confirmed. At least this wasn't a lie. "If you support freedom for mages then you will do this." And he had that explosive and didn't want to be seen. And he was giving her an ultimatum, as if his way was the only way she could really believe. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. She had to trust him.

Emma nodded wordlessly and went to go talk to Elthina.

Elthina was less surprised to see her this time and maybe even a little pleased.

"What brings you here, Emma Hawke?" she asked kindly.

"I'm just feeling a little sick of the whole 'mages and templars' thing and I figured that you would be the one person as eager to not talk about that as I am," Emma told her.

The grand cleric smiled at that. "You have guessed correctly, Champion."

"So tell me…anything," Emma said, spreading her hands. "Anything unrelated to this whole crisis."

"It's hard to find something not related to templars are mages in this grand city of ours," Elthina told her. "But I will try. Do you know how I was named the grand cleric of Kirkwall?"

Emma shook her head. "No, Your Grace, I do not."

"It was many years ago – how many I will not say – and the previous grand cleric had been watching me very closely for weeks. I did my best to devote my life to Andraste and the Maker and I never committed any huge breach but I wasn't perfect," Elthina revealed. "I was so terrified that I was going to be punished and my friends weren't very comforting. I was just about to go apologize to her for whatever I had done wrong and beg for mercy or to just tell me what I had done instead of leaving me alone to go insane when she called me into her office. Instead of punishing me, she had been watching me to see if I would be a suitable replacement once she retired to Val Royeaux. I think you can guess how the next part went."

Emma managed a smile at that. "Imagine that. You went in there expecting a reprimand and ended up being one of the most powerful people in Kirkwall."

The grand cleric nodded. "I did indeed. But remember, all power comes from the Maker and it is our duty not to abuse it."

"I wish everyone shared your conviction," Emma murmured.

"Now who's bringing up certain taboo topics?" the grand cleric teased.

Anders ran up to her then. "There you are! Come on, let's go."

Elthina stopped him with a touch on his arm. "I see that your soul is truly troubled, child. I hope that you will have found the balm you need here."

The way she said it, it sounded like bomb.

\----

Emma waited until Varric had refused Anders' mother's pillow and left before she made her presence known.

"Even I know that when someone starts giving away prized possession, that's a great big warning sign," she said as casually as she could.

Anders jumped. "Emma. I hadn't expected to see you here."

"Oh no?" she asked him neutrally. "Weren't you going to tell me how that potion is coming along?"

Anders looked away. "There was no potion."

"You lied to me."

"I'm sorry," Anders said earnestly.

"You always say that," Emma said wearily. "And I always believe you. I believe you this time! It's just…how many more times are you going to break my heart, Anders?"

Anders' gaze turned distant. "Just the one, I think," he confessed softly. "But it will be a big one."

"Why did you get my hopes up like that?" Emma demanded. "Why did you have to offer me the one thing that I want more than anything only to swoop in at the last second and take it away?"

"I'm sorry," Anders said helplessly.

"There you go again!" Emma cried out. "Why?"

"I needed your help. I could never have faced a dragon on my own and our friends would never have come if you hadn't told them to," Anders tried to explain.

Emma shook her head. " 'Our friends.' Most of us don't even like the others."

"And yet we're all still here," Anders pointed out. "I couldn't tell you what was going on. I can't tell you. You're just going to have to trust me and even if you don't, I still can't tell you."

"But why lie?" Emma demanded. "And why that lie? Why couldn't you have told me something else? Anything else? Why couldn't you have just not told me anything at all like with the Chantry?"

"I...didn't think you would come," Anders admitted. "The Chantry was already asking a lot and asking for that when it comes to the ingredients, too? I couldn't. As for why that lie, in particular…I knew that that would make you come with me, no questions asked. I couldn't guarantee that with any other story and it was just too important to risk it."

"I would have come," Emma whispered.

"I thought you might," Anders told her. "But I didn't know. And I think that…maybe…I wasn't lying when I said that I'd been researching ways to get rid of Justice. I wasn't lying about him wanting to, needing to be free of me. And what almost happened with that girl Ella…it scared me. I have been looking, I just didn't want to get your hopes up. I've been looking but I never found anything."

Emma's eyes filled with tears.

"Emma…" Anders looked devastated as he stepped towards her.

Emma just shook her head and backed away. "I-I can't right now."

"Look," Anders called out almost desperately. "I…I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have lied to you. It's just that this is all spinning so far out of control that I don't even…I'm not even sure that this is a good idea anymore but it's much too late for that."

Emma reluctantly stopped but she didn't move any closer. "What do you mean it's too late? Nothing's been done that can't be undone, save perhaps your union with Justice. Whatever it is that you're planning that you're not sure about…You've had no doubts about things that would make Varric freak out so whatever this is must be huge. But it hasn't happened yet and you can still stop this."

Hope entered Anders' eyes. Emma couldn't remember the last time she had seen it there and so it took a moment for her to recognize it. "Yes…Yes, I could. Maybe. There's still-" His eyes snapped closed.

"Anders?" Emma asked hesitantly.

Justice opened those same eyes. "Go. Anders has no further use of you."

What else could she do but go?

\----

Emma was sitting on the floor watching her baby niece and nephew crawling around while her mother sat in a chair nearby.

"I never thought that Carver would be the first one to have children," Leandra said, shaking her head in bemusement. "Even now, nearly two years after Merrill first got pregnant I can't believe it."

"I can't believe that any of us ever had children," Emma replied. "I know that I don't feel old enough to be a mother and Carver's three years younger than I am.

"I never saw you as a parent," Leandra told her. "You were always so impatient and children require a lot of care. Carver was, too, for that matter. Bethany would have made a good mother, though. She was always so good with children."

"You speak of her as if she's dead," Emma said dryly. "Who knows? Maybe one day she will make a nice mother. She'd certainly do a better job than Merrill and Carver."

Leandra smiled sadly. "Even if Bethany were to have a child, you know that she would have no chance to raise it. Or…perhaps you don't know. You never did care to learn anything about Circles. Any child born to a mage or a member of the Chantry is automatically separated from their parent – usually their mother because if it is the father that's the problem then how would anyone know? – and given to the Chantry to raise."

"Bethany won't be in there forever," Emma insisted, her eyes flashing.

Leandra looked like she didn't believe her but she wanted to. "If anyone can ensure that, I know you can, my darling girl."

"Do you mind?" Emma asked suddenly. "That Merrill and Carver are always hanging out with me and leaving you to take care of Malcolm and Rowan?"

Leandra stared at the ceiling for a moment, clearly trying to formulate her response. "It depends on what you mean by 'mind.' I love my grandchildren and I love the fact that I have grandchildren at all. It's not like I have anything I'd rather be doing most of the time and when I do, that's what servants are for. You just have to be careful not to let the servants spend too much time raising your children or you might begin to view them as your real family."

Emma wondered if that had happened with her but she knew better than to ask.

"On the other hand…They are always gone. Near every day, they're out as late as you are and that's fine because you don't have any other responsibilities but they do. I worry. Rowan's first word was 'mama' and she didn't say it to Merrill. Merrill wasn't even here. Carver wasn't either. It's their lives, their choices and the children are well taken care of but I just worry about what they'll miss out on. Children grow up faster than you think they will," Leandra said wistfully.

"They're not going to have a very easy life, are they?" Emma asked softly.

Oblivious, Malcolm and Rowan were laughing about whatever it was that babies laughed about.

"What makes you say that?" Leandra asked her.

"Well, to begin with their mother is an elf and from what I understand having one human and one elf parent means that whenever anyone knows about that, they have a rougher time than even elves do since no one really accepts them," Emma began. "Then there's the fact that between Merrill, Father, Bethany, and I there's a good chance that at least one of them is a mage which means either the Circle or the whole family has to be in hiding all the time. But then, with Merrill, that will probably happen anyway. And Kirkwall is the most ridiculously unstable place ever so who even knows how long this idyllic little existence will last? What happens when the mages and the templars really go at it? What are we going to do then?"

"I don't know," Leandra admitted. "You bring up some very good points, Emma. These children are going to have a rough time, more likely than not. All we can do is love them the best that we can and hope that that's enough to see them through this."

"Do you think that it will be enough?" Emma asked, suddenly feeling very young.

Leandra nodded. "I do."

"How can you be so sure?" Emma demanded.

"When your father and I left for Ferelden, we didn't really know what we were doing and we didn't have time to plan it out because our first little miracle was on the way," Leandra said pointedly. "But we just did our best and loved you and the twins with all our hearts and look at how well things have worked out!"

Emma forced a smile. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Leandra said suddenly. "Did you know that you have a cousin? I just met her the other day, lovely girl. There was a bit of confusion about a jewel but we managed to work past all of that…"


	42. Boom

"Hey, Emma, fancy running into you here," Varric said casually as Emma and Carver came upon him outside of one of the Hightown houses.

"I'm here, too," Carver pointed out.

"So you are," Varric agreed.

"I'm not sure how strange it is that we're here since you asked us to meet you outside of this particular house at midnight," Emma replied.

Varric shrugged. "Well, I consider it fancy anyway."

"What's going on?" Carver asked.

"Since Bartrand is still, despite the best efforts of the best healers money can buy, quite crazy, I decided to sell his house. Meredith recently changed the tax code again and so dealing with filing on all of my properties is just turning into a nightmare. She claims that Saemus did it but I think we all know how likely that is. The qunari apparently don't believe in taxes or something," Varric said, shaking his head. "And I chose to get rid of this property because of all the bad memories of the craziness and horror that went on here, to say nothing of the fact that I didn't actually get to shoot a bolt through ten guards and stop right before nailing Bartrand with it."

"Varric, if you called us down here to help you file your taxes at midnight then I'm going to hit you," Carver threatened.

"We have to pay taxes?" Emma asked blankly.

"Mother takes care of it, don't worry," Carver assured her.

Varric laughed. "Oh, nothing like that. I don't trust anybody but me to do my taxes anyway. I'm very creative, you see, and that is invaluable in matters such as these. But the point is that due to all of this I'm selling some of my properties and this house that Bartrand used as the backdrop from his break with reality is as good a place as any to get rid of."

"Varric, you know that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you," Emma said slowly. "But I don't quite understand what you're asking. Are we supposed to help you sell your brother's house in the middle of the night? Because somehow I think we'd have better luck when people are awake and it's safe for non-thugs with random and stupid names to walk the street."

"Oh, no, I already did that ages ago," Varric assured them.

"Then why are we here?" Carver demanded. "Because I swear, if you didn't have a reason to drag us out of our beds or you've forgotten what that reason is then we are going to have problems."

"Fret night, Junior," Varric told him, smirking. "It's just that the man I sold it to thinks that the house is haunted and he's threatening to press charges because I was acting in 'bad faith' or something and didn't tell him about Bartrand's little meltdown and massacre unless I deal with the haunting."

"There's no such thing as ghosts," Carver pointed out.

"True," Varric agreed. "But there are demons and blood mages and weird Deep Roads artifacts like the one that drove my brother crazy and is currently driving someone named Meredith crazy. Hopefully, it's just an artifact that needs to be smashed."

"And if it's not or that doesn't work?" Emma inquired.

"Then we'll probably need to kill something and that's what you two and Loghain are for," Varric explained. "Now let's go."

"What about you?" Carver asked, not budging.

Varric sighed. "If I absolutely must help then I suppose it cannot be avoided."

They went into the house and almost immediately heard a faint voice.

"Let's see if we can find it," Varric suggested. "I want to make out the words."

"That sounds like a spectacularly bad idea," Carver argued. "What if they want to possess us or kill us or something?"

"It doesn't matter," Emma said. "It's our job to go deal with it. Oh look, a floating chair!"

"Well, fine," Carver said, sulking. "But even if we have to go seek out this mysterious evil voice or whatever, let's not listen to it, okay? Because that's a terrible idea even when we're engaging in stupid activities like hunting these things down."

"We're getting closer," Varric decided. "I can feel it!"

"I can't," Emma said, frowning. "And as a mage I think that I should have dibs on feeling things."

"Now's not really the time to be jealous, Emma. His feeling it might be a problem," Carver cautioned.

"Huh," Varric said as they came into another room. "It looks like the people who bought this house were really lazy if they just left all of Bartrand's stuff lying around. Most of it is from Orzammar, you know."

"Isn't it nice when people who exile you and your entire house let you take everything that you own?" Carver asked sardonically.

Varric laughed. "From what I understand, that is not the experience most exiles have. They're pretty much always just cast out into the Deep Roads to fight darkspawn until they die. If they're lucky, they run across the Grey Wardens or the Legion of the Dead and join up so as to put off their death by a few weeks or months. Years if they're so obscenely lucky you wonder how in Thedas they ever managed to get themselves exiled in the first place. In the end, though, they all fall to the darkspawn."

"I don't like Kirkwall much," Emma said slowly. "But I've got to admit it it's a good sight better than the Deep Roads eternally. You guys seriously should have tried to get yourselves exiled to Ferelden, though."

Varric laughed. "We weren't actually exiled to Kirkwall, you know; just to the surface. And I wasn't even born yet. But I'm sure that Ferelden would be much saner than Kirkwall."

"Infinitely," Carver agreed.

Continuing to explore the house, Emma kept wary eyes on the floating vases and other knickknacks.

"I always worry that they're going to drop right on my head," she explained.

When they finally reached the room that they had found Bartrand in, a terrified-looking servant girl ran up to them.

"Are you real?" she asked them.

"What kind of a question is that?" Carver demanded. "We'd probably say yes either way."

"You've got to get out of here before it comes back!" she urged.

"Before what comes back?" Emma asked reasonably. "And why don't you leave as well?"

"I…um…" the woman trailed off.

"I suspect that the idol is involved. Where is it? I think you're hiding something. Is your name Meredith?" Varric said, just a little bit louder than he normally did but still almost perfectly calm.

The woman cowered from this slight voice elevation making them really wonder what had been going on here.

The shelves shook and the woman ran from the room. "Maker, no, it's starting again!"

"Well, she was absolutely useless," Carver said disgustedly.

"I'll say," Varric agreed. "She didn't even tell me if she heard of the idol or not."

The woman screamed suddenly.

"That sounded like mild surprise. I think she fell down the stairs," Emma deduced.

They went to go check.

Loghain barked.

"Yeah, it probably was that translucent rock golem," Carver agreed absently. "It looks sort of like a ghost but that, of course, is impossible."

Varric drew back. "Seriously? You can understand it, too? Fereldens, I tell you…"

"I say we kill it!" Emma suggested cheerfully.

Varric nodded. "Sounds like a plan. We probably wouldn't have any choice if we wanted to leave here anyway."

Killing what might very well be a ghost of a rock golem was not an easy task but once it was done, Varric found a piece of the idol hidden within it.

"Oh, I should have known that Bartrand would lie to me!" Varric exclaimed, annoyed. "Of course he'd keep a piece of the idol for himself. I just wish I knew why he didn't think to take it with him when he left or why he felt the need to lie to me after Anders made him temporarily sane."

"Maybe he was worried about you," Emma suggested but she sounded doubtful. "The idol drove him crazy and it could do the same to you."

"Yeah, maybe," Varric said vaguely. "After all, if we were both crazy then who knows what would happen to the family business?"

"I guess this will clear up those pesky haunting," Carver decided. "Of course, whatever building that piece is in will probably have the same problems. Unless it just came with one translucent rock demon to protect itself."

"Or unless we destroy it," Emma added.

"Destroy it?" Varric couldn't believe it. "Are you kidding? Think of what we could do with this!"

"Go crazy?" Emma guessed.

"I'll be careful," Varric promised.

Emma stared at him. "How, exactly, do you propose to do that?"

"You've been acting strangely since we first got here," Carver agreed.

"It's just a sliver," Varric protested.

"How do you know that 'just a sliver' isn't enough to make you crazy?" Emma challenged. "It probably drove Bartrand crazy if he was still looking for the entire thing years after he sold it."

"It's my only chance of ever saving my brother!" Varric finally cried out.

Emma instantly crumbled. "Okay, fine! But we're all going to be keeping a very close eye on you to make sure that you're not secretly going crazy and if you are we'll have to stop you. Besides, you will have clearly brought this on yourself."

Varric nodded. "Understood. And for the record, Cassandra, totally not crazy."

"If you keep talking to people who we don't know and who aren't here then I'm going to have to argue the point on that," Carver said flatly.

As they were walking along the coastline, a man stepped out in front of them.

"Well…here you are. You've been sticking your nose in every problem in Kirkwall since you stumbled off the boat," he drawled.

"To be fair, a lot of these problems come up flitter around us incessently until we pay attention to them," Carver said defensively. "Especially back in the days before Emma was Champion and thus expected to care about Kirkwall."

"Okay, seriously, who are you?" Emma demanded.

The man looked incredibly put out. "That's exactly what you said when I ran into you at the start of the qunari invasion and you told me to kill people!"

"I…don't remember that," Emma admitted, scratching behind her ear. "That does sound like me, though."

"Emma!" Carver exclaimed.

Emma sighed. "I did make sure to stress that you should only kill people who deserve it, right?"

"This is the man who betrayed Feynriel and then sold him to people who would bring him to the templars," Varric reminded her.

Emma's eyes narrowed. "Oh, right. Why do you keep trying to make me remember who you are again?"

"I want to be a templar again," the man explained.

"I don't care. Apparently it's ridiculously easy to join up so if you can't then that just means that you fail," Emma told him before walking away.

The rest of the party stared at each other for a moment before following her lead.

\----

"Champion, come quick!" a desperate-looking man said as Emma and the others were walking around Hightown.

"Why?" Emma asked, not moving.

"First-Enchanter Orsino and Knight-Commander Meredith were having a really big fight and then Orsino said that he was going to tell on her to the grand cleric and Meredith said that she wasn't going to let him so he ran off and she chased him and now they're fighting on the steps of the Chantry itself! It's only a matter of time until the grand cleric herself comes out but there's a good chance that one of the other will kill each other before then!" the man exclaimed.

"So, what, you're tattling to me?" Emma asked, surprised. "What, exactly, am I supposed to do about this?"

The man shrugged. "I don't know. Champion-y stuff."

"If I side with one or the other it will just empower the one and piss off the other making the fight all the worse," Emma pointed out.

"Please come! Nothing can make this any worse!" the man begged.

Emma sighed. "Please know that I'm only agreeing because I suspect that if I do not then I will be besieged by other random citizens constantly until Meredith and Orsino can sort this out and I've only got so many years left in this life."

She heard Orsino and Meredith long before she saw them and it was a wonder the grand cleric hadn't already come out to investigate. Perhaps she was as sick of those two as everyone else was and was ignoring them. Someone really should have taken their weapons away and locked them in a closet or something. It would have made everything infinitely easier.

"You can't search our rooms!" Orsino shouted. "We have things in there that we don't want you to see! Privacy!"

"I'm not letting your mages plot to overthrow me and learn blood magic with impunity because you might get embarrassed!" Meredith yelled back.

"Blood magic!" Orsino mocked. "Where do you not see blood magic? My people cannot sneeze without you accusing them of corruption!"

"Maybe if there wasn't an average of two new blood mages a day then I'd find your claims of innocence less laughable," Meredith barked.

Emma finally reached them. "Dear Maker, will you two shut up? Nobody cares about your drama anymore."

"It's not our personal drama!" Orsino cried out. "This is a classic case of those in power abusing their power and those under their control!"

"This is about saving the innocent from blood magic and abominations and apostate serial killers!" Meredith disagreed. "To trivialize and say that you don't want your 'privacy' to be ignored is just ridiculous."

"So my being concerned about rights and slippery slopes is ridiculous, is it?" Orsino asked incredulously.

"In such a time of chaos as this then yes, yes it is," Meredith said solemnly. "We can worry about such luxuries as privacy when things settle down."

"It's been three years, Meredith! Maybe things will 'settle down' when we get a real viscount!" Orsino countered.

"We have a real viscount!" Meredith insisted. "Saemus comes from a long line of-"

"Okay, Emma's right, this is getting really stupid," Anders interrupted, stepping forward.

Meredith was incensed. "What is the meaning of this, mage?"

"Oh Maker!" Emma cried out, horrified. "They just realized that Anders was a mage!"

"I think they knew that for quite awhile, Emma," Isabela told her. "Varric just bribes everyone."

"Oh," Emma said, relaxing. "For a minute there I was really worried."

"Those are famous last words," Fenris warned her.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Emma asked optimistically.

"That's another example," Fenris continued.

"Seriously, sooner or later the grand cleric will come out and send them to their rooms again and then tomorrow we'll have this same old argument," Emma said confidently. "Nothing ever changes."

"Nothing lasts forever, Emma," Aveline warned. "Not even stalemates."

Sebastian came out of the Chantry. "Her Grace would like me to tell you to keep it down. She's trying to take a nap."

Meredith angrily wheeled on Orsino again. "See what you did-"

"Things have to change!" Anders interrupted again. "They just have to."

"Well if you know of any easy way, mage, then now would be the time to say it," Meredith said in a tone that indicated that she really didn't think that Anders had anything.

"I didn't say it was easy and it will bring about many years of misery for everyone but, ultimately, I believe that this is the only answer," Anders said seriously. "I can no longer stand by and watch her treat every mage in this city like a criminal while the one who is supposed to protect us is too interested in bickering with Meredith and covering his own ass to do us any real good."

"How dare you!" Orsino cried out, offended.

"The Circle has failed us, Orsino. Surely even you can see that," Anders said almost carelessly.

"Even me?" Orsino repeated, the offense just growing.

Not only did Anders eyes turn blue but his entire face was filled with blue cracks. He tapped his staff on the ground twice and there was a black powder that filled the air.

"Since when was he an abomination?" Meredith asked, confused and appalled. "Someone is going to lose their job over this."

"The time has come to act!" Anders declared grandly. "There can be no half-measures."

Emma's eyes were wide. She knew that if he was so willfully and publicly destroying any chance of a future he had by ripping Meredith and Orsino a new one then he had either lost his mind or was planning something so big that none of that even mattered. Or maybe both. She stepped up right behind him. "Anders…what have you done?"

"I'm sorry, Emma," Anders said again, barely audible.

"I think those may be my three least favorite words," Emma said, her voice trembling a little.

"There can be no turning back," Anders said loudly. "We must all choose a side. I'm just drawing the battle lines."

And that was when the Chantry exploded with a beam of red, oddly laser-ish, light.


	43. Polarized

It was as beautiful as it was horrifying, terrifying. When it was over, no one quite knew what to say and Anders deflated as if he were a puppet whose strings had been cut. He wouldn't look at Emma who couldn't look away from him.

Carver was the one who finally broke the silence. "Goddamn it, Anders! The whole Chantry?"

"There can be no peace," Anders said tiredly.

"Well now there can't be!" Carver exclaimed, throwing up his hands in frustration. "I don't know if it would have been possible before but you just completely burned that bridge! Now thousands of people are going to die and it is all your fault."

"I wasn't the one who brought us here, Carver, but if you must have your scapegoat…" Anders trailed off.

"Things were really bad before, yes, but the death toll was hardly in the thousands!" Carver cried out.

Sebastian dramatically fell to his knees. "Elthina! No! Maker, no! She was Your most faithful, Your most beloved...Why didn't she listen to me?"

"It's a bit tacky to make all of this about yourself," Isabela advised.

"And your anguished voice is extremely annoying," Merrill added helpfully.

"Why?" Orsino asked helplessly, turning to Anders. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"He is an abomination and that has clearly driven him insane," Fenris opined.

"I removed the chance of compromise because there is no compromise," Anders said, sounding choked up.

"That doesn't make any sense," Carver complained. "If there is no compromise then what was there to remove?"

Meredith looked torn between outrage and a little bit of glee. "The grand cleric has been slain by magic. The Chantry destroyed. Clearly, this is not just the work of one misguided fool but a condemnation on all mages everywhere. I see no choice now but to kill every mage in Kirkwall."

"Were you looking for another choice?" Varric muttered.

"As Knight-Commander of Kirkwall, I hereby invoke the Rite of Annulment!" Meredith announced. "Every law-abiding Circle mage will be killed while apostates like the one who just blew up the Chantry should probably stay away from the Gallows."

Orsino's face lost any color it might have once possessed. "N-no, wait! You can search our rooms, I don't care. Just don't kill us all!"

"You had your chance," Meredith said sanctimoniously. "Now if you would kindly go back to the Gallows and await your execution in a timely manner." She turned to Emma. "Champion, I trust that you will take care of this and then meet me at the Gallows so that we may destroy every mage in Kirkwall."

It was a testament to how lost Emma was that she didn't take the opportunity to remind Meredith once again that she wasn't actually on her side.

"Templars, let's go," she ordered, looking at Emma's group.

They exchanged glances.

"We're staying," Aveline said finally.

Meredith frowned. "You'll each receive a demerit for this!"

"We can live with it," Varric said dryly.

"I have to go," Carver told them.

"But…your sister," Merrill protested.

Carver looked pained. "I know. But Meredith has clearly lost it and I have to try and mitigate the damage where I can, maybe talk her out of murdering children or something. Aveline…"

Aveline looked up at him. "Yes, Carver?"

"You know what you have to do," Carver said slowly, reluctantly.

Aveline nodded. "I do. And I will. Don't worry."

Carver cast one last look at his sister. "Emma…"

She didn't respond.

Carver sighed and turned to follow Meredith to rally the templars.

Emma finally found her voice. "Was that why you needed me to distract the grand cleric?"

"You…were part of this?" Sebastian demanded, his voice full of accusation and condemnation.

"Choir Boy, if you make things worse I will not hesitate to shoot you," Varric warned. "In fact, I'm getting awfully close to doing that now."

"If you knew what I was doing, you would have felt honor-bound to stop me. I couldn't take that chance," Anders said flatly.

"You don't know that," Emma said quietly.

"I couldn't risk that, either," Anders admitted.

"You never should have made her a part of this, Anders," Varric said darkly.

Anders looked pained. "I know. I hated myself for doing it but I needed someone to distract her and Emma was the only one I knew who could walk into a Chantry and speak to the grand cleric who would go along with it just because I asked."

"You fool!" Orsino shouted, his face twisted with rage. "You've doomed us all!"

"We were already doomed," Anders shot back. "A quick death now or a slow one later…I'd rather die fighting."

"Good for you," Orsino spat. "But you didn't have the right to make those choices for the rest of us."

"Perhaps I didn't," Anders acknowledged. "But it's done now."

"I'm going back to the Gallows to try and warn people about what's happening," Orsino said, almost in a daze. "I hope you will join us, Champion. We don't stand a chance as it is but without you the slaughter will only be more complete."

"I'll be there," Emma promised vaguely.

Anders sat down on the steps of what was once the Chantry, purposely facing away from Emma. "There's nothing you can say that I haven't already said to myself. I took a spirit into my soul and changed myself forever to achieve this. This is the justice all mages have awaited."

"This isn't about you any more than this is about Sebastian, Anders," Emma told him. "This is about the war that you've just started, the thousands that will die because of you. Today and in the future…every act of horror or depravity will stem from this. And how you can call all these innocent deaths the 'justice' mages have been yearning for is frankly beyond me."

"Do you see a better way?" Anders demanded.

"I think that 'nothing' might have been a better way," Emma replied.

"If I pay for this with my life then so be it," Anders said bravely. "At least Justice would then be free."

"Justice doesn't deserve to be free," Emma said darkly. "After all of this, what he's done to you and to this city and to this planet…No, he doesn't deserve it at all."

"You must be pleased, Anders," Sebastian said coldly. "You've spent the last six years trying to become a martyr and now you feel like the just punishment you'll receive for your murdering the best woman I've ever known will make you one."

"I'm not going to kill you, Anders," Emma told him wearily. "I don't know how I can even look at you after this but I suppose we'll find a way. And I love you. You can't ask me to kill you."

"Well I can," Sebastian said loudly. "What if I had still been in that Chantry? Would you still be willing to let him go?"

"If anything, I think she'd be more willing," Isabela told him.

"You mean…stay with you?" Anders asked, quickly rising to his feet. He sounded like he'd just been given everything he'd ever wanted in the world. He could have his mage revolution and Emma. "I didn't think you'd let me. I've always wanted to openly get to kill every templar in my path."

"No!" Sebastian growled. "If you let him live, I swear that I will finally do what I really should have done six years ago and return to Starkhaven to claim my throne. Then I will bring back an army and destroy everything in Kirkwall!"

"Are you serious?" Varric demanded, appalled. "You're mad that Emma might not kill one man so you'd destroy an entire city?"

"It's not just 'one man'," Sebastian protested. "He destroyed the Chantry and killed several people, including the grand cleric."

"And, again, your response to this horrible act of violence is to go further than even Meredith can dream of?" Varric demanded.

"I…well…" Sebastian looked awkward.

There was a choking sound behind them.

"It doesn't matter," Aveline said, pulling her sword out of Anders' back.

Emma fell to her knees. "Anders!"

"It's alright, my love," Anders tried to smile, for her. "I always knew that it would end this way. Well, maybe not exactly this way but…I love you and you have no idea what it means to me that you would still be willing to let me live and keep me with you."

Emma was blinded by the tears and when she could see again, Anders was gone.

She angrily jumped to her feet. "What the hell, Aveline?"

"Payback," Aveline said coldly, "is a bitch."

"Wait," Emma shook her head, trying to clear it. "All of this is for what's-his-name back in Ferelden? Aveline, he asked me to kill him! He was dying anyway!"

"I don't care," Aveline said stubbornly. "Besides, you all knew that it had to be done. Anyone who cared about Emma should have done the same."

"I don't follow," Merrill admitted. "How does caring about Emma translate into murdering her fiancé?"

"If she had stayed with him she would have been hunted just as surely as he would have been and she could never stop running. It would have ruined her life," Aveline explained. "Admittedly, I did it for Wesley but other people had other reasons."

Varric caught on immediately. "You mean Car-" He glanced at Emma and cut himself off. She didn't need to know.

"Well now that that's done, I guess I can stay here and help you defend the mages from this terrible thing," Sebastian said brightly.

"You're a regular Paragon," Varric said wryly.

"What about everyone else?" Emma asked, standing up and pulling herself into some semblance of togetherness by sheer force of will.

Aveline made a mental note to not have her back to Emma at any point ever.

"I firmly believe that any mage, if given half a chance, will try to be a magister," Fenris told her. He sighed. "But even I am not so unfeeling as to fight against you after what Anders and Aveline just did."

"And I think you know that the rest of us were always going to be on your side," Varric told her.

"Yes, now all of us can go and fight this glorious fight!" Sebastian cheered.

"Aveline, if you wanted to stab him too then that would be perfect," Isabela urged.

"I'll think about it," Aveline said noncommittally.

\----

"Not for nothing but…are we sure that we're on the mages' side?" Sebastian asked once they'd finally reached the Gallows.

"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?" Emma asked, annoyed.

"Well, we've killed a lot of mages to get here," Sebastian pointed out. "I think maybe we've killed more mages than templars."

"That's because Meredith might have had a p…a po…" Emma choked. "I can't say it."

"Meredith might have had a point about how many blood mages and abominations there are and they keep attacking us so we have no choice," Varric finished for her.

"It's like every other mage we meet is like that!" Emma complained.

"I, for one, am not at all surprised," Fenris said. He glanced at Merrill. "Try not to get possessed until after we've dealt with this. It would be very inconveniencing."

"I'm not planning on getting possessed at all," she protested.

"And that would be wonderful but I'm not holding out much hope," Fenris replied.

Orsino met them then. "I just spoke with Meredith. She said she'll 'entertain a surrender' but she can't possibly expect one as surrendering to her means accepting that she will execute us all for what your friend did. Where is he, anyway? He should have to deal with this."

Emma just glared at him.

"I, uh, see. I didn't think you would actually do that," Orsino said, looking surprised.

Emma's glare switched over to Aveline. "I didn't."

"You know that you cannot possibly hope to win here," Fenris informed her.

Emma shrugged. "It doesn't even matter. These people are…some of them are…there has got to be a few innocent mages in Kirkwall and they don't deserve to be slaughtered like this."

Fenris considered. "I suppose your sister is here."

Emma's jaw dropped. "My…Bethany? I completely forgot!"

"I'm not surprised," Bethany said from behind her. "But at least you're here now. You're not going to let them kill us, will you?"

"They'll die first," Emma vowed, running over to give her sister a hug.

"I thought the expression was 'I'll die first'," Aveline said, puzzled.

"It is," Emma confirmed. "But me dying wouldn't really be in line with my goals, now would it?"

Orsino sighed and shook his head. "This is really not how I wanted this morning to go. And this is far worse than I thought that it would. Only two hours ago my biggest problem was an issue of privacy. And that's still important, don't get me wrong, but somehow it pales in comparison with the horror of this."

"You should give a speech," Varric suggested. "People like speeches."

Orsino nodded. "Good idea. My fellow mages, the templars will come and they will try to kill us all. Let's not let that happen. Instead, let's kill them all with no mercy. Let's especially kill Meredith. She's the most radical element and her second-in-command is far more reasonable. If we can kill her then maybe he'll stop all of this. If they steal your magic, do not hesitate to follow our Champion's example and beat them to death with your staff. There's a reason that they make these things so heavy. For all our power, we really can't win. There's only one option for us all."

"You are terrible at that," Isabela complained. "Let me guess, mass suicide?"

"Survive!" Orsino cried out.

No one was looking particularly energized.

"Here, let me try," Isabela told him. "I'm good at this." She cleared her throat. "Let's go kick some templar ass and then all get drunk and have sex later!"

The mages cheered.

"We have a little time since we're basically just waiting for Meredith's men to attack," Orsino informed them. "So if you want to say your goodbyes before we're probably all killed then now would be a good time."

"Seriously, you are not inspirational. At all," Varric told him.

"So, um, does anyone have any goodbyes they need to say?" Emma inquired.

Isabela turned to Varric. "Let's not lose track of each other when this is over, okay? Our writing partnership is just too damn lucrative and I love bouncing ideas off of you."

"Agreed," Varric told her. "You truly are inspirational, Isabela."

"And Fenris, if you want to stay with me for awhile and continue having sex then I am all for that," Isabela continued.

"That does sound like a plan," Fenris agreed.

"I think that's pretty much it," Isabela told her.

"Okay, my turn," Emma said, nodding. "Aveline, I will never forgive you for this and one day when we don't have so many pressing problems I'm going to kill you. I mean that."

"Hey, you're the one who ruined my life and all of this is your fault," Aveline insisted. "I was just trying to even things out."

"Sebastian, why are you even here?" Emma demanded. "Go back to Starkhaven. As you said, you should have gone there six years ago."

"You guys need me," Sebastian claimed.

"We really don't and we want you here even less," Emma said flatly. "Fenris, I know how you feel about mages and so it means a lot that you're willing to go against your wrong convictions to stand with me. Merrill, I still don't like you but you are family and so I really do hope you won't die or get possessed or something."

"Thank you," Merrill said, touched.

"Isabela, you and I have had so much fun together and I really hope you'll let me stow away on the ship I got for you when we likely have to flee Kirkwall in a hurry. Varric, you're seriously one of my best friends and almost too awesome for words. If for some reason we're parted in the future, I want you to know just how incredible and amazing you are," Emma said earnestly.

Isabela nodded. "Of course. Seriously, everyone but Sebastian is totally welcome on my ship."

Varric smirked. "Trust me, I'm well-aware of my own awesomeness."

Emma pulled Bethany off to the side for their own reunion and goodbye.

"You never came," Bethany said accusingly. "Even after I told you to after the qunari invasion, you didn't."

"I couldn't. It was just…I'm sorry," Emma apologized.

Bethany sighed. "You keep saying that and nothing ever changes."

That reminded Emma uncomfortably of Anders. "Well, things will change this time. When we're through here, you can't stay in Kirkwall. And hopefully you'll have lost your taste for Circle life after this."

"That's for sure," Bethany agreed. She frowned suddenly. "Wait, do you really think that…it wasn't on purpose, you know."

"Wasn't it?" Emma asked pointedly.

Bethany looked down. "I don't know. It was a long time ago and I was just so tired of always having to run and of putting the people that I loved in danger."

"But it was the wrong choice?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Definitely," Bethany agreed. "I mean, maybe under a saner Knight-Commander and I can't deny that I enjoyed finally getting to be with other mages besides my own family. Still, I never would have known just how wrong that decision was without this."

"It wasn't worth it," Emma said solemnly.

Bethany shrugged. "Lots of things aren't worth it but they happen anyway. I heard about Anders."

"Help me kill Aveline later?" Emma asked.

Bethany put her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Of course."

"Do you think Mother's okay? And the kids?" Emma inquired, worriedly.

"I hope so. They're far enough away from the Chantry that they shouldn't be impacted by the blast and I don't think anyone would have taken to looting with the danger of just being outside and the mages and templars aren't exactly going to be hiding in Hightown Mansions," Bethany reasoned.

Emma let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I hope you're right."

"They're coming!" Orsino cried out suddenly.

And then the temporary reprieve was over and the battle was begun.


	44. And That Was That

"Wow, this is going really well," Emma said, surprised. "From the sheer numbers that the templars have on their side and the fact that everyone keeps acting like this is some sort of a last stand, I would have thought that this would be difficult or something. It's a good thing that they're only attacking a few at a time."

"Dear Maker, look at it all!" Orsino said despondently. "So much death…"

"Well, we all knew that we'd have to kill every templar who came through that door," Emma said reasonably, trying to understand why this was such a problem.

"No, I mean the mage death!" Orsino wailed, gesturing to two corpses on the ground.

"Yes, that's very sad and I think we'd all be happier if no mages had to die today," Emma said slowly, trying to be diplomatic. "But seriously, there's been two mages killed. Two. We're taking down templars almost as fast as they can charge at us. Things are fine."

"And besides, I'm not going to say that they deserved it," Merrill remarked. "But if they had acted more intelligently and one had not lit themself on fire and the other had not literally jumped on a templar's sword then they'd still be alive today. You really can't blame yourself. Unless, of course, you think you should have made them less stupid but even there I'm not sure there was really all that much you can do. Some people are just naturally thick."

"Why don't they just drown us as infants?" Orsino asked miserably. "Why wait? Why give us the illusion of hope?"

"I'm not positive but if I had to guess it's because most people draw the line at baby-murdering and even if we didn't, you can't tell a mage is a mage until they're older than that," Varric replied. "Unless you were talking about elves but you being an elf is not why Meredith is after you."

"I don't see why you're so upset, anyway," Fenris told him. "We're doing absurdly well. Meredith clearly has no real plan besides throwing her troops at us in groups of five or six for us to easily strike down without all of us even having to fight."

"I refuse to keep running! I won't wait for her to kill me," Orsino ranted on, apparently not even listening.

"We're not running," Aveline pointed out. "We're making a last stand. Although it's turning into more of a regular stand than a last stand."

Sebastian looked over and saw that the mages were looking a bit more disheartened than they were before Orsino had started complaining. "You're really not helping matters."

That he heard. "I'm tired of helping, as well," Orsino informed them.

"Then…maybe you should think about stepping down or something," Isabela suggested. "Because helping is really part of your job description and now is really not the time to be changing that."

"Quentin's research was too evil, too dangerous, so I put it aside. But I see now there is no other way," Orsino said, his face taking on the same look that Anders' had right before he had started all of this and blown up the Chantry.

"You dare to bring up your role in our mother's near-death right now?" Emma demanded furiously.

"I agree with Emma," Bethany said, staring at her mentor in horror. "First Enchanter, there are a million other ways! We're winning! Drastic measures are only supposed to be as a last resort, not when you get bored by the tedium of constantly killing people!"

The next wave of six templars came into the room but stopped short when they realized that they were clearly in the middle of something.

Varric nodded his thanks for their consideration.

Orsino took out a dagger. "Meredith expects blood magic? Then I will give it to her. Maker help us all." With that, he slit his wrists.

"It always looks like a suicide attempt when people do that," Bethany commented, backing up.

"Maybe someone can explain to me how proving the crazy lady right by having the person in charge of the mages turn to blood magic is a good idea?" Varric asked. "What, no takers?"

Orsino started floating a few inches off the ground and blood swirled around him. The corpses of the two dead mages and several of the templars were pulled to Orsino's body and when everything had settled, the creature that remained looked nothing like the First Enchanter.

It was a hideous flesh monster about three times as tall as Orsino had been and it staggered around a little.

"Okay, something tells me that turning yourself into a giant flesh monster never ever helps," Emma decided. "The closest comparison I can think of is people becoming abominations and, again, it never helps."

"This is why I wanted to help the templars," Fenris groused. "At least then when this sort of thing happened, it wouldn't be my allies I had to fight."

Despite the fact that Orsino had transformed himself so that he may better kill templars (even though that was completely unnecessary, it was the closest thing to a reason they had to explain his actions), he ignored the six perfectly good templars in front of him to attack his allies.

"Aveline, Merrill, get the templars," Emma instructed. "Everyone else, let's take down this abomination!"

"It's a good thing that the templars didn't decide to actually use their templar powers to negate our magic," Bethany remarked as she started firing spells at what was once Orsino. "That might have made this a bit more complicated."

Emma shrugged. "Lesson number one: templars are idiots."

Once they had managed to fell the giant creature, it's head (complete with its own limbs) detached and started literally hopping around the room. This creature did less damage and was easier to hurt than its larger form but getting it to stay still long enough to kill it was a regular nightmare.

"So…now what?" Bethany asked once he was dead.

"Well, I know that I'm going to totally steal his staff because it looks amazing and it feels really powerful, too," Emma said, happily grabbing said staff.

"You know that's called the 'Staff of Violation', right?" Bethany asked rhetorically.

Emma made a face. "No I did not know that and I'll thank you not to tell me just why that is."

"I don't think another wave is coming," Aveline said.

"Let's go take the fight to the templars then," Isabela suggested. "I'd rather not stay in this room anymore after that flesh-thing stunk the place up and just looking at its remains is kind of freaking me out."

"Okay," Emma agreed. They made their way down to the courtyard.

"There's a few more bodies here and there," Varric acknowledged. "But Orsino couldn't have possibly known about them and they're still not very many."

"What do you expect from the man who enabled my mother's would-be killer?" Emma asked him. "I can't believe that his nice voice and his badassery in the qunari invasion would ever allow me, even for one second, to relax a little in my intense hatred of him. Well, worry not because my hatred is renewed."

"We weren't worried," Merrill told her.

"And I think that after that little stunt, it's a common hatred," Varric assured her.

"Meredith does not know how to execute a Rite of Annulment," Fenris declared.

"And thank the Maker for that," Bethany said gratefully.

Meredith was in the middle of pontificating when they reached her.

"Just like in the time of Andraste, magic must be purified through fire," she was saying.

"I could be wrong but didn't Andraste lead a rebellion because of all the slavery going on, not because the slavers happened to be magic?" Merrill inquired.

"No, it was definitely because she hated and feared magic," Meredith said. "Champion, I've had a thought."

"This should be good," Varric muttered.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Carver told them. "Getting her to spare anyone is like pulling teeth!"

"You are a monster, Meredith," Emma said frankly. "And we're going to make you pay for driving this city and its mages so far past the point of reason."

"I will be rewarded for what I've done here, in this world and the next!" Meredith claimed.

"In this world, perhaps," Fenris said cynically. "But the next? Killing children, mage or not, is no worthy feat."

"I'm beginning to wonder how large your part in this actually was," Meredith said slowly, suspiciously.

"My part in what?" Emma asked, confused. "Because really, I'm barely involved in any of this at all. If it hadn't been for the fact that I happened to be standing there and that the catalyst of this was caused by…by my…I wouldn't even be here probably. Everything and everyone is just getting really, really stupid and I just want to go home."

"Ah, that's just what you want me to think!" Meredith exclaimed. "Think about it: an apostate refugee come to our city with an apostate sister, gathering power and influence without any accounting."

"There was a lot of accounting, actually," Carver pointed out. "We rescued the viscount's son a few times and made a lot of money on a Deep Roads expedition. And our mother was a noble to begin with. We went around solving whatever problems forced themselves on us – and given that nobody here wants to take responsibility for their own actions, that was a lot – and somehow we got a reputation as being willing to actually do something."

"And I don't really have all that much power or influence," Emma argued. "Nobody listens when I say 'let's free the mages and kill all templars.' Nobody even listens when I say 'I'm not actually on Meredith's side, you know.' And if you're talking about how I became Champion of Kirkwall…Well, that was your doing, remember?"

"How can I trust that the mighty Champion of Kirkwall is not a worse threat to this city than the Circle?" Meredith demanded.

"Well, I think that the fact I've yet to engage in any blood magic or turn into a demon is pretty good proof of that," Emma argued.

"Proof of what?" Meredith asked scornfully. "Your lies? Proof that you are even more clever than Orsino?"

"For the record, that's not actually all that hard. He turned himself into a monster in desperation because he couldn't handle the fact that we were winning," Varric pointed out.

Meredith was through listening, though, if she had ever started listening. "The people of Kirkwall will mourn your loss but I will tell them that you died battling the mages. A righteous cause."

"For the love of…I'm still not on your side!" Emma shouted. "If you can kill me, which you can't, at least tell them the truth about my death!"

"That is the truth," Meredith said stubbornly.

"Knight-Commander, I thought we intended to arrest the Champion," Cullen spoke up.

"No, I'm pretty sure that Meredith said 'Let's kill the Champion', you said, 'But Knight-Commander, that will cause an international incident. We should just arrest her', and then Meredith started ordering people to kill mages," Carver corrected.

"Well…she didn't argue with me," Cullen pointed out.

"It's likely she didn't even register that you disagreed at all," Carver told him.

"You two, kill her!" Meredith ordered.

"I'm not killing my sisters," Carver said bluntly. He walked over to the mages' side. "And I'm fine getting a demerit."

"You deserve two!" Meredith cried out.

Carver shrugged. "I can take two. I have an exemplary record."

"But you never do anything," Aveline objected.

"That's why," Carver replied.

"I can't get involved in this," Cullen said, looking pained. "Meredith, you're just super crazy."

Meredith took out a sword that was suddenly glowing red. "You recognize it, don't you?" she asked smugly.

"No, not at all," Emma said, confused. "Why would I recognize your sword?"

"Because it's pure lyrium, taken from the Deep Roads. The dwarf charged a great deal for his prize," Meredith continued.

"Oh Maker!" Emma exclaimed, shocked. "The Meredith that Bartrand told us purchased the evil insanity-causing lyrium idol was, in fact, Meredith!"

"That seems like it would be a little obvious," Cullen told them.

Emma glared at him. "Don't judge us! We were busy!"

Meredith caressed the sword.

"Meredith, I get that as a templar you're addicted to lyrium but I still think that you've got a huge problem and need to acknowledge that and perhaps seek help," Emma said seriously. "That is not healthy behavior, even considering who I'm talking to."

"Everyone, kill them!" Meredith ordered.

"What part of 'I'm not going to because you're crazy' didn't you get?" Cullen questioned. "Knight-Commander, I'm relieving you of your command."

Meredith turned horrified eyes on him. "My own Knight-Captain falls prey to blood magic."

"That is in no way what just happened," Bethany pointed out. "It's like she's not even paying attention."

"Or super crazy," Carver added.

"Fine! I will kill all of you!" Meredith cried out.

And she made a good show of it, too. Despite the fact that everyone in Emma's group, all of the templars, and a bunch of random people they may or may not have met before who randomly showed up to help, Meredith was all over the place – ranting about blood magic the whole time – and finally she fell back, panting heavily.

"I will…not be defeated!" she raged, her voice quite ragged. "Maker! Aid your humble servant!"

And that was when the sword exploded and Meredith (slowly and painfully, screaming all the way) turned into lyrium.

"I imagine that this is what it's like to watch a golem being made," Varric mused.

"What?" Isabela asked, startled.

"Oh, nothing…" Varric assured her.

"So now what?" Emma asked blankly. "I mean, aside from declaring this a holy relic and selling admission."

"We can't do that!" Cullen protested.

Emma sighed. "Fine. Free admission but donations encouraged."

"That…wasn't what I meant…" Cullen said awkwardly. He gestured and the templars surrounded the group, their swords raised.

"I'm not entirely sure how we managed to turn Meredith into lyrium but don't think we won't do it to you, too," Emma threatened. "Or we'll just kill our way out of here. We've been having such a marvelously easy time, after all."

Cullen sighed. "You know what, it's not even worth it. Just go. We'll tell everyone that there was an epic battle or something."

Emma shrugged. "Well…okay, then. Last one to Isabela's ship has to sit next to Sebastian!"

"We are not taking Sebastian!" Isabela protested.

"Then we'd better beat him to the ship," Carver said grimly and off they ran.

\----

"What happened next?" Cassandra asked eagerly.

"Well, you know most of it," Varric told her. "Word of the slaughter spread quickly. To Emma's complete and utter delight, her name became a rallying cry and a reminder that not only could templars be beaten but that staffs were very heavy and could effectively double as a club in a pinch. Only about two dozen mages died during the supposed Rite of Annulment and they made it their mission to tell the world. Every Circle but the one in Ferelden – which is apparently some kind of mage paradise by now – rose up and set the world on fire. That's a nice turn of phrase, isn't it? 'Set the world on fire.' Hardly accurate but you know."

"Stay focused!" Cassandra ordered.

"We were long gone by the time more templars came and so were the rest of the mages. We managed to ditch Sebastian when we stopped to pick up Emma's mother, niece, nephew, uncle, and newfound cousin Charade that Leandra had discovered and taken in while we were all dealing with the mages and templars," Varric continued. "We all partied on Isabela's ship for a few weeks and tried to take Emma's mind off of Anders. I think it worked okay but eventually Aveline was the first to leave after Emma wouldn't stop trying to kill her."

"Where is the Champion now?" Cassandra demanded.

Varric shrugged. "I haven't the slightest clue. She was very excited to hear that Saemus had retired from being viscount and she had been elected the new one but we convinced her that it was not a good idea to go back to Kirkwall. Eventually, circumstances – and the fact that most of us really didn't like each other – forced us to leave Emma's side. Well…all of us except for Anders."

Cassandra frowned. "Wait, what? You told me he was dead."

Varric nodded. "He is dead."

"Then why did you just tell me that he stayed with the Champion?" Cassandra demanded.

"I…don't know," Varric admitted. "I guess I'm rewriting the tale in my head for the book Isabela and I are writing that's loosely based on all of this."

"In your version, Anders will live after what he did?" Cassandra was enraged at the thought.

Varric shrugged. "I don't really know. I just can't have Carver telling Aveline to do it. Maybe I could have Emma tearfully do what she must. She never would, really, but that's the point of a good dramatic license. And so that's pretty much it. I have no idea where Emma is now although I do know that she took Ser Pounce-a-lot with her. Her family would probably know but good luck getting to them. They decided to take advantage of the fact that they're kin to the Hero of Ferelden and Ferelden now loves its mages and went to go live at Alistair and Anora's court."

Cassandra grimaced at the mention of Ferelden. "So Meredith provoked the Circle. She was to blame."

"Personally, I tend to blame Anders for blowing up the Chantry but Meredith's a good target, too. Or that damn lyrium idol," Varric replied.

"Even so, had the Champion not been there-" Cassandra started to say.

"Things would have played out pretty much exactly the same," Varric cut her off. "Except Isabela might never have gotten that text back or would have been long gone and the mages and templars might have had to kill the Arishok after all. But really, when you get right down to it – for all her good points and flaws – Emma was just one person and where one person is taken away, history steps in to fill the cracks. This was always going to happen. Even if you take away more important people like Anders or Meredith, something had to give. This war was a long time coming."

"I can't believe that," Cassandra said curtly.

Varric shrugged. "Then don't, see if I care. But how is hearing all this going to help? You've already lost all the Circles and I hear that Cullen's declared templar independence to go deal with the mages."

"Not all of us want war," Cassandra told him. "And in addition to wanting to know who we can blame for this mess, we need Emma Hawke now more than ever."

Varric looked at her skeptically. "People rarely need Emma."

"She is a hero! The mages would listen to her; she was there at the very beginning," Cassandra said earnestly.

Varric rolled his eyes. "She's an anti-templar fanatic who would never work with you to end this in any way that didn't involve complete mage independence. And haven't you been listening? She's not exactly what I'd call 'stable.' I mean, I adore her but she's not."

"We have to try something!" Cassandra burst out.

"Don't try that," Varric advised. "And I already told you, I have no idea where she is."

"Just tell me one thing, then. Is the Champion dead?" Cassandra asked quietly.

"Not if the postcards she keeps sending me are any indication," Varric said dryly.

"Then you are free to go, Varric. Try not to die like everybody else keeps doing," Cassandra told him before turning and waking away.

"So, did you-" Leliana started to ask.

"You could have come inside and heard the tale as well," Cassandra pointed out.

Leliana wrinkled her nose. "You know how I feel about hearing stories from non-professionals."

Cassandra sighed. "Fine, be a snob. But she's gone; just like the Warden."

"It's strange how rumors of their disappearance only crop up once people hear that we're looking for them," Leliana mused. "It's almost like they don't want to talk to us."

"That can't be the case," Cassandra said dismissively. "We're Seekers of the Chantry. Why wouldn't Angélique Amell and Emma Hawke want to talk to us?"

It's the End so Review Please!


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